2024 Ballot Questions
WBUR's explainers on the issues Massachusetts residents can vote on during this fall's election season.
With MCAS exit exam scrapped, supporters say more 'authentic learning' comes next
Massachusetts public high schoolers will no longer have to pass the 10th-grade standardized tests in math, English and science to earn their diploma, starting with this year’s senior class. But...
Mass. voters oppose legalizing natural psychedelics, as Question 4 fails
Voters rejected Question 4, a measure to legalize certain plant-based psychedelic drugs and created a network of licensed therapy centers so adults 21 and older could consume them under supervision....
Question 2 wins: Mass. voters end MCAS high school graduation requirement
Voters approved Question 2, the campaign to end requiring public high school students to pass the MCAS in order to earn their diplomas.
Watch: Debates on the 2024 ballot questions before Mass. voters
With early in-person voting kicking off on Oct. 19 and vote-by-mail underway, we'll help you get the facts and hear the arguments surrounding several critical statewide ballot measures.
Support for MCAS ballot question has a 'bare majority' in new WBUR poll
The question is centered around the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, and whether passing the Grade 10 MCAS exams in math, English and science should be a condition to graduate.
Advertisement
Poll: Mass. voters split on psychedelics, tipped wages, but support auditing the Legislature
Massachusetts voters are juggling a lot of questions on this year's ballot. And if a new WBUR poll is any indicator, things are still very much up in the air.
Auditor authority: How Question 1 seeks to allow state audits of Mass. Legislature
Supporters of the proposed audits say they would boost transparency, while opponents argue the audits would be an intrusion by the executive branch onto the legislative branch of government.
MCAS: The debate over Question 2, an effort to drop the high school 'exit exam'
Massachusetts public school students must pass standardized tests in order to graduate high school. Question 2 in the 2024 election asks voters to end or keep that requirement.
Ride-hailing unions: How Question 3 aims to allow Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize
Question 3 asks voters to decide if drivers for Uber and Lyft can form unions to collectively bargain with the app companies for wages, benefits and work conditions. If the...
Psychedelics: How Question 4 could legalize the drugs for therapeutic use in Mass.
The proposed law would create a regulatory framework for psychedelics' therapeutic use in Massachusetts. But like cannabis, substances like psilocybin and mescaline would remain illegal at the federal level.
Tipped wages: How Question 5 seeks to lift minimum wage for tipped workers
The general minimum wage is $15 an hour under state law, but it's $6.75 for tipped workers. Question 5 seeks to gradually raise the tipped minimum wage to match the...