Question 1: Expanding the Public Records Law

Massachusetts · Law Proposed by Initiative Petition · on the November 3, 2026 ballot. The ballot wording and the arguments for and against from the state’s official voter guide, in the state’s own words, each read the same way for rhetorical techniques. We don’t recommend a vote.

On the ballot

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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 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.

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 would make no change to the Massachusetts Public Records Law.

From sec.state.ma.us. Checked 2026-10-20. Confirm with your official ballot (sample-ballot lookup).

Argument for

By Diana DiZoglio, Committee for Transparency and Democracy

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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. Every city, town, and state agency must follow that law, but the politicians on Beacon Hill exempted themselves.

Question 1 puts the Legislature and the Governor's office under the same public records law as everyone else. It protects constituent privacy, and the Secretary of Administration and Finance certified that it has no cost to taxpayers.

In 2024, 72% of voters said yes to auditing the Legislature. Beacon Hill is still fighting that vote — but Question 1 will give you and every taxpayer the ability to access public records directly.

You have a right to see what your government is doing with your hard-earned taxpayer dollars. Please vote YES on Question 1.

From sec.state.ma.us, the official voter guide.

Argument against

By Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth

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The proposed law includes overly broad and poorly defined exemptions. It would exempt from public disclosure documents related to the development of public policy, but only during policy development. These records would become public once the policy is developed. This limited and temporary exemption will chill open communications by lawmakers, raising significant constitutional concerns, particularly around legislative speech and debate protections.

The narrow protection for constituent communications creates serious privacy risks. By only exempting correspondence tied to benefits or agency interaction, the law leaves vulnerable to public disclosure all other general constituent communications, such as emails and letters from citizens expressing personal political views, sharing sensitive local grievances, or criticizing lawmakers. This lack of comprehensive privacy protection will negatively affect civic engagement and deter residents from contacting their elected officials.

Ultimately, this measure creates a flawed framework that fails to deliver genuine accountability while actively compromising constituent privacy.

From sec.state.ma.us, the official voter guide.

Who’s behind it

Party positions: Massachusetts Democratic Party: No position published · Massachusetts Republican Party: Yes

Committees registered to support or oppose Question 1, and what they reported to Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) - ocpf.us / api.ocpf.us. Checked 2026-10-21.

Before comparing the sides: each committee’s figures come from its own latest report, so they can cover different dates. Some committees work on more than one measure or other campaigns, and their totals include all of it. A side with no registered committee can still have supporters. How much a side raised says nothing about whether the measure is a good idea.

Supporting

Coalition for Healthy Democracy 2026

Ballot measure committee

Raised $7,595,386 · spent $6,925,723 · as reported through Oct 15, 2026

Largest contributors as filed:

Peeler, David · $1,050,000 · individual
Balson, Andrew · $790,000 · individual
Bekenstein, Joshua · $500,000 · individual
Nunnelly, Mark · $500,000 · individual
Poler, Dwight · $300,000 · individual
Conway, Brian J. · $300,000 · individual

Since then, $175,000 more reported in contributions of $1,000 or more, through Oct 19, 2026.

This committee is registered for more than one measure; these are its whole totals, which its filings don’t divide by measure.

Committee for Transparency and Democracy

Ballot measure committee

Raised $374,937 · spent $302,844 · as reported through Oct 15, 2026

Largest contributors as filed:

Committee to Elect Diana Dizoglio · $150,000
Candidate-controlled committee, sponsored by Diana DiZoglio
Partners in Democracy · $43,247
Other
Massachusetts Teachers Association · $30,000
Labor union
National Association of Government Employees · $25,000
Labor union
Diantonio, David · $25,000 · individual

Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts

Ballot measure committee

Raised $5,705 · spent $31 · as reported through Oct 15, 2026

Largest contributors as filed:

Democratic Socialists of America, Inc · $5,000
501(c)(4) nonprofit
Massachusetts Democratic Socialists of America, Inc · $655
501(c)(4) nonprofit
Del Bonis, James · $50 · individual

This committee is registered for more than one measure; these are its whole totals, which its filings don’t divide by measure.

Opposing

No registered committee opposing Question 1 found as of 2026-10-21.

A rhetorical technique is about wording, not about whether a measure is a good idea or an argument is true. Ballot wording is written under each state’s own rules, and official arguments by the people the state names. All Massachusetts measures →