In Massachusetts, the deadline to submit signatures for 2026 ballot initiatives to local registrars was Nov. 19. Campaigns for at least 10 different ballot initiatives reported filing signatures. Earlier, on Sept. 3, 44 initiatives were approved for signature gathering.

Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin (D) noted the high number of signature submissions, saying, "There’s a unanimity of opinion among groups who don’t agree on much else that they’re not going to get anything done in the Legislature, so they’re going to go to the people." He also said, "[It's] obvious that most are going to succeed in getting on the ballot."

The local registrars are tasked with certifying the petition signature sheets submitted to them, after which petitions are submitted to the secretary of the commonwealth by Dec. 3, 2025. At least 74,574 signatures must be found valid.

The 10 ballot initiatives address various subjects, including housing, zoning, electoral systems, taxes, marijuana, public records, and conservation funding.

• Rent Control Initiative: The ballot initiative would establish rent control in Massachusetts, limiting annual rent increases for residential units, with exceptions, to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 5%, whichever is lower.

• Limit on Required Lot Size for Single-Family Homes Initiative: The ballot initiative would require cities and towns to allow single-family homes on residentially zoned lots that meet minimum standards of at least 5,000 square feet in area, at least 50 feet of frontage on a street or public way, and access to public sewer and water services. According to Massachusetts' Comprehensive Housing Plan for 2025-2029, "Much of Massachusetts is covered by zoning districts that are quite simple: single family homes with a minimum lot area of one-half to two acres." In effect, the initiative would preempt local zoning rules that require lots for single-family homes to be larger than 5,000 square feet, which is about 0.12 acres, as long as the other conditions are met.

• Top-Two Primary Elections Initiative: The ballot initiative would adopt top-two primaries for state offices and require gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial candidates to run as a joint ticket in primaries.

• Public Records Requirements for Legislature and Governor’s Office Initiative: The ballot initiative would require records that the state legislature and the governor’s office hold to be public records.

• Legislative Stipend Calculation and Payment Rules Initiative: The ballot initiative would change how state legislators' stipends are calculated. Legislators would receive stipends, subject to appropriation, based on their leadership positions and committee assignments, with maximum amounts ranging from 20% to 75% of their base salaries.

• Decrease State Income Tax Rate to 4% Initiative: The ballot initiative would decrease the state's personal income tax from 5% to 4%.

• Change State Tax Revenue Limit Initiative: The ballot initiative would change how the state calculates the limit on annual state tax revenue growth and how revenue subject to that limit is defined.

• Establish the Nature for All Fund Initiative: The ballot initiative would create a new state fund, the Nature for All Fund, which would receive revenue from the sales tax on sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf courses. The fund would be used for natural resource conservation.

• Eliminate Recreational Marijuana Sales and Allow Limited Possession Initiative: The ballot initiative would repeal the state's laws that legalized, regulated, and taxed retail sales of recreational marijuana. The ballot initiative would also prohibit the possession of more than one ounce of marijuana. Possession of one ounce or less would remain legal, while possession of more than one ounce and up to two ounces would be subject to civil penalties.

• Permit Collective Bargaining for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees Initiative: The ballot initiative would permit employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) to engage in collective bargaining with their employer. The CPCS workforce includes public defenders, social workers, investigators, and administrative staff.

If the secretary of the commonwealth determines that enough valid signatures were submitted, the initiatives are sent to the General Court, because initiatives are indirect in Massachusetts. While a direct initiative is placed on the ballot once signatures are verified, an indirect initiative is first presented to the legislature. The General Court has until the first Wednesday of May to pass the initiative. If the legislature does not pass the proposed statute, proponents must collect a second round of 12,429 signatures by July 8, 2026. If those signatures are verified, the proposal would appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot.

One citizen-initiated ballot measure is already certified for the Nov. 2026 ballot in Massachusetts. The measure, a veto referendum, will allow voters to decide whether to retain or repeal House Bill 4885, which made several changes to the state's firearm regulations. Under HB 4885, the state would develop an electronic tracking system for firearms, prohibit assault-style firearms (as defined in law), require safety certificates to obtain firearm parts, mandate serial numbers for firearms, allow school administrators and licensed healthcare providers to request that a court issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order, and permit courts to order firearm surrenders when issuing a Harassment Prevention Order.

If all 10 initiatives make the ballot, then, along with the already certified veto referendum, the state would have the highest number of citizen-initiated ballot measures in its history. Eleven would also be the highest total number of ballot measures on a ballot since 1918, when voters decided on 19 constitutional convention referrals, including the one that created the initiative process. Currently, the year with the most citizen-initiated ballot measures was 1994, when nine were on the ballot.

Between 1910 and 2025, voters in Massachusetts decided on 231 ballot measures, including 116 citizen-initiated ballot measures.