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Ballot question

Question 3: single all-candidate primary; top two advance (initiative)

On the ballot in
Massachusetts
Vote
Yes or no
Election
Nov 3, 2026

The question, as printed on the ballot

Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026? This proposed law would eliminate political party primaries for state elections and instead establish a system where there would be a single, all-party primary in which all candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, would be listed on one ballot, and voters could vote for any candidate on the ballot. The two candidates receiving the most votes in the primary would advance to the general election ballot. This proposed law would require candidates for governor and lieutenant governor to run and be listed jointly on the ballot in the primary. This proposed law would provide political party status to any group whose candidates for any statewide office received at least 3% of the ballots cast in the state primary.

A “Yes” vote means

Replaces separate party primaries for state offices with one primary listing all candidates on one ballot; the top two vote-getters would advance to the general election.

A “No” vote means

A NO VOTE would make no change to the laws governing primary elections.

Official plain English statement

What your vote will do (written by the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Commonwealth): A YES VOTE would eliminate separate party primaries for state elections and require a single primary in which all candidates appear on one ballot, voters could vote for any candidate, and the top two candidates would advance to the general election. A NO VOTE would make no change to the laws governing primary elections. Statement of fiscal consequences (written by the Executive Office of Administration and Finance): The proposed law has no discernible material fiscal consequences for state and municipal government finances

Question 3 – Law Proposed by Initiative Petition. Full text, arguments and legislative votes: the Information for Voters booklet.

Sources

The question and plain English statement are copied word for word from official election materials. The Gist does not take a side on ballot questions.