Voters Approve Open Records and Election Day Registration Reforms

Boston (November 4, 2026) – Declaring democracy in Massachusetts needs reform, voters overwhelmingly passed Question 1 (Public Records) with 86% approval, and Question 4 (Election Day Voter Registration) by a wide margin, while Question 3 (All Party Primaries) came up short of a majority. Local nonbinding questions calling for legislative stipend reform also appeared in 8 state house districts, all currently ahead with supermajority support. 

“From the large slate of ballot measures to the energy around democracy reform, Massachusetts voters delivered a clear message that they want more transparency, more choice, and fewer obstacles to casting their ballots. We’re incredibly proud of the partners, volunteers, staff, and supporters who guided Questions 1 and 4 to victory,” said Jerren Chang, President and CEO of Partners In Democracy. “There was a lot of agreement that our elections need reform, with debate centering around how. We look forward to revisiting those conversations and advancing solutions that empower the people to hold politicians accountable at the ballot box.”

Massachusetts has one of the least transparent state legislatures, making it hard for people to weigh in and help shape the legislative process. It was also just ranked next-to-last in the country for competitiveness of elections, with most elections currently decided by a small number of voters in low-turnout primaries.

Partners In Democracy was a strong advocate for all three statewide ballot measures and the largest in-kind supporter to all three, making presentations to nearly 80 local groups and political committees and reaching out to voters at dozens of community events.

“For most Massachusetts voters, these questions were the only competitive elections on their ballots,” said John Griffin, Executive Director of PID MA Action. “We’re thrilled to see voters pass Open Records and Election Day Registration into law, and we’ll continue working with our elected officials to give voters more voice and more choice. While the Question 3 results were not what we wanted, we are proud of the campaign we ran and honor the voice of the full electorate – which has always been our focus.”

Around the country, partners working for democracy reform achieved success on several statewide ballot measures. In Virginia, Question 3 restoring voting rights to formerly incarcerated people passed by a wide margin. And in Missouri, voters soundly rejected a proposition to implement hyperpartisan gerrymandering in the state’s U.S. House districts.

Media Contact: Miles Grant, miles@partnersindemocracy.us, 703-864-9599 (m)

About Partners in Democracy

Partners In Democracy empowers people with the knowledge, capacities, and community ties for civic life and renovates our democratic institutions and infrastructure to be responsive, inclusive, and effective. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.

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