DEDHAM, Mass. — Massachusetts voters weighed in on nine ballot questions on midterm Election Day, approving measures including public records, voter registration, and natural resources while rejecting others on elections and recreational marijuana.
Jim Sturgis, executive director of the Pioneer Institute, joined Boston 25 Morning News anchor Gene Lavanchy on Wednesday to break down the results and what they could mean for the state.
One of the clearest outcomes came on the public records question, which voters overwhelmingly supported. The measure would bring Massachusetts in line with other states on public access to government records.
The question now, Sturgis said, is whether state lawmakers will fully implement the measure.
“This is an open question,” Sturgis said, pointing to previous clashes between the Legislature and voter-approved measures. He said the answer could become clearer before the end of the year.
Voters also rejected Question 3, which sought to overhaul the state’s primary election system. Sturgis said the result was notable because of the measure’s significant financial backing.
“Question 3 proves that money does not buy you votes,” he said.
At the same time, voters approved Question 4, which would allow same-day voter registration. According to results discussed during the interview, about 57% of voters supported the measure.
Another decisive result came on Question 8, with voters rejecting an effort to repeal the sale of recreational marijuana in Massachusetts.
Sturgis said that outcome did not surprise him, noting that polling ahead of Election Day had pointed in the same direction.
Other questions produced much closer contests.
Question 7, which concerns zoning rules for building single-family homes on smaller lots, remained nearly deadlocked Wednesday morning. At one point, the “yes” side was ahead by just 195 votes.
Sturgis predicted the measure could ultimately fall short as additional results come in.
“The votes are trending against it at this point,” Sturgis said, noting a divide between urban communities, where the question appeared to have stronger support, and less urban areas of the state.
Question 5, which deals with limits on state revenue and rebates, also had not been officially decided at the time of the interview. Sturgis predicted the measure would ultimately fail by roughly 2% to 3%.
Among the other results discussed Wednesday morning, voters approved Question 2, involving collective bargaining for public defenders, and Question 6, which supports a natural resources fund. Question 9, concerning Massachusetts gun laws, also passed.
Sturgis said the results show Massachusetts voters remain supportive of organized labor and measures that ensure workers can earn a fair living wage.
The nine ballot questions gave Bay State voters a wide-ranging set of decisions alongside Tuesday’s candidate races, with the final outcome of some of the closest measures still coming into focus Wednesday morning.
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