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Question 1: Expanding the Public Records Law

Statewide — all of Massachusetts

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

  • Placed on the ballot by initiative petition: the Information for Voters labels it a law proposed by initiative petition on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives before May 6, 2026. The Legislature's Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions issued the legislative reports reproduced in the same booklet.[1]

The question 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? Expanding the Public Records Law: This proposed law would make most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law. This proposed law would exempt documents related to the development of public policy and communications between legislators and their constituents, if those communications are reasonably related to a constituent’s request for assistance in obtaining government-provided benefits or services or interacting with a government agency.[1]

The measure would make most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law, while exempting documents related to the development of public policy and communications between legislators and their constituents that are reasonably related to a constituent's request for assistance in obtaining government benefits or services or dealing with a government agency. Statement of fiscal consequences (Executive Office for Administration and Finance): The proposed law has no discernible material fiscal consequences for state and municipal government finances.[1]

A YES vote means

A YES VOTE would make most records held by the Legislature and the Office of the Governor public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law.

A NO vote means

A NO VOTE would make no change to the Massachusetts Public Records Law.

The law today

According to the Legislature's committee reports, executive branch agencies and departments and municipal entities are required to comply with the public records law (M.G.L. chapters 4 and 66); the petition would subject the Governor's office and the Legislature to that law. A No vote makes no change to the Public Records Law (official "what your vote will do" statement).[1]

Official fiscal estimate

Executive Office for Administration and Finance: "The proposed law has no discernible material fiscal consequences for state and municipal government finances."[1]

Read the full text of the measure ↗

Arguments made for

  • In the 150-word argument in favor signed by Diana DiZoglio of the Committee for Transparency and Democracy, as printed in the Information for Voters: "Massachusetts deserves open government. Good government groups rank our state the least transparent in the nation. We’re one of only two states where both the Governor’s office and the Legislature claim a blanket exemption from the public records law."[1]
  • In the minority report of the Legislature's Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions, signed by Sen. Ryan C. Fattman, as printed in the Information for Voters: "The Legislature has a fundamental responsibility to operate with openness and integrity, and adopting this initiative is a critical step toward fulfilling that obligation."[1]

Arguments made against

  • In the majority report of the Legislature's Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions (signed by Sens. Cindy F. Friedman, Brendan P. Crighton, Paul R. Feeney and Reps. Alice Hanlon Peisch, Kate Hogan, Frank A. Moran, Michael S. Day, David T. Vieira), as printed in the Information for Voters: "Based on testimony by the experts and from the opponents, the Committee believes that this Petition violates the separation of powers mandated by the Massachusetts Constitution."[1]

On record in support

  • Committee for Transparency and Democracy (Diana DiZoglio), signer of the pro argument; registered with OCPF as supporting[1][2]
  • Coalition for Healthy Democracy 2026, registered with OCPF as a committee supporting this question (also registered on Question 3)[2]
  • Sen. Ryan C. Fattman, minority report of the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions recommending the General Court adopt the petition[1]
  • Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts (registered with OCPF as a committee supporting this question)[2]

On record in opposition

  • A majority of the Legislature's Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions voted May 4, 2026 to recommend that the General Court take no action on the petition (majority report). The Information for Voters states there was no organized group urging a No vote when it was printed[1]

Campaign money

Receipts reported to the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) by committees registered for this question, calendar years 2025 and 2026 combined, as published in OCPF's ballot question reports and retrieved Oct 19, 2026 (through each committee's most recent filing). Supporting ($7,249,562 total): Committee for Transparency and Democracy $331,690; Coalition for Healthy Democracy 2026 $6,917,822; Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts $50 | Opposing: no committees registered with OCPF. Committees registered on more than one question report one total for all of them, so these figures overlap across questions.[2]

Research notes & limits

Ballot text, official yes/no statements and fiscal statements are taken from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's 2026 Information for Voters booklet (PDF text extracted and checked by script). Arguments are quoted from the signed 150-word pro/con statements, which the Commonwealth states reflect the authors' opinions and are not certified as accurate. No signed argument against appears: the booklet states there was no organized group urging a No vote and prints text compiled by the Secretary's office, which is not quoted here. The booklet's own summary is the Attorney General's; the Secretary's page and Ballotpedia could not be fetched (bot protection), so the ballot list was confirmed from the booklet itself, which covers nine questions. Added Oct 19, 2026: supporters/opponents are the signers of the Information for Voters arguments, committees registered with OCPF for each question (OCPF lists each committee as supporting or opposing), and the Legislature's committee reports printed in the booklet; no endorsement lists from other organizations were verified. Campaign-finance figures are from the OCPF reports API, which publishes year-to-date totals by committee and does not state a single as-of date.

Sources · 2

Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.2026 Massachusetts Information for Voters (State Election, November 3, 2026) · Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Official record
  2. 2.OCPF ballot question committee reports, 2026 (committees and year-to-date receipts) · Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance · 2026-10-19 Official record