A ballot box at a polling place (file photo). Photo: W.carter / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Massachusetts voters approved Election Day voter registration and a broader public records law on Tuesday, and rejected out-of-state efforts to repeal legal marijuana sales and the state’s 2024 gun law, according to results compiled by WBUR as of Wednesday morning. Two questions, on taxpayer rebates and single-family zoning, were too close to call.
Every question, at a glance
| Question | What it does | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Expands the public records law to the Legislature and governor’s office | Passed, about 86% yes |
| 2 | Lets public defender agency (CPCS) employees unionize | Passed |
| 3 | Creates all-party primaries | Failed; supporters conceded after 11 p.m. |
| 4 | Allows Election Day voter registration | Passed; AP called it before 2 a.m. |
| 5 | Changes the tax revenue cap to make rebates more frequent | Too close to call, per the AP; a concession was reported before 7:45 a.m. |
| 6 | Creates a nature conservation fund from sales tax on sporting goods, RVs and golf | Passed easily |
| 7 | Overrides local zoning to allow single-family homes on smaller lots | Too close to call, about 50-50 |
| 8 | Repeals legal recreational marijuana sales | Rejected, about 3 to 1 |
| 9 | Repeals the state’s 2024 gun law | Rejected; more than two-thirds voted to keep the law |
Source: WBUR results as of Wednesday morning, Nov. 4. Percentages are approximate. The AP projected Questions 1 and 8, GBH reported.
What the results mean
- Election Day registration (Q4): Starting with future elections, eligible residents will be able to register and vote on the same day.
- Public records (Q1): The law will cover the Legislature and the governor’s office, which had been largely exempt. The AP projected it would pass, GBH reported.
- Cannabis (Q8): Legal recreational sales, approved by voters in 2016, will continue.
- Gun law (Q9): The 2024 firearms law stays in place.
- Primaries (Q3): Party primaries will stay as they are.
Still being counted
Questions 5 and 7 were too close to call as of Wednesday morning. Mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive through Friday, Nov. 6, so those margins could change. Our turnout report explains the timeline, and our Massachusetts results story covers the governor and Senate races. Follow updates on the Massachusetts election tracker.
The Boston Report does not call races or ballot questions. Results are from the outlets named and are unofficial until certified.
Sources
- WBUR: The latest results on all 9 of Massachusetts’ ballot questions
- GBH: Mass. ballot question results
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