Ballot questions are an important part of how citizens get to effect change to the laws of our state.  Massachusetts is only one two states in New England, and 26 states overall, that has an initiative and/or referendum process. This process gives citizens a voice when they either want to improve the government, or have become frustrated by the government.  The process is not simple, but it is available to all.

The LWV of Massachusetts is undertaking a study this year of the entire ballot question process in Massachusetts.  Up until now, the League has take no position on how ballot questions are created. This study will help the League better understand the process and whether or not it would recommend changes to the process.

We have scheduled our consensus meeting for Saturday, January 19 at 1 p.m. in the Mary Atwood Room at the J.V. Fletcher Library.  All interested members are invited to attend!

We will step through a list of questions researched by the state League that will help us better understand the ballot process in our State and how it could be changed or improved.  At the end of the study, the state League will gather the conclusions from all participating local Leagues and come up with an overall position on the ballot question process in Massachusetts.

Although prior reading is not required, it can be very helpful to review the study materials ahead of time. The State League has done an amazing job putting together an entire set of papers relating to this topic – some are short and give and overview, and there are additional documents you can read if you really want to dive into the details.  The main study guide is available here.

For planning purposes, if you are interested in attending the consensus meeting, please RSVP below.