Massachusetts Question 2 (Collective Bargaining for Public Defenders) is on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Allow attorneys and staff of the Committee for Public Counsel Services to unionize and bargain collectively
What a yes or no vote means
Read the certified ballot question
Allow attorneys and staff of the Committee for Public Counsel Services to unionize and bargain collectively
How Question 2 reached the ballot
Massachusetts uses an indirect initiative: petitions for statutes or constitutional amendments need signatures equal to 3 percent of the last gubernatorial vote (74,574 for 2026, with no more than a quarter from one county) and go to the Legislature first. If lawmakers decline an initiative statute, sponsors collect a smaller second round (12,429) to force it onto the ballot; amendment petitions instead need support from a quarter of legislators in two successive joint sessions. Questions pass by simple majority, provided yes votes also equal at least 30 percent of all ballots cast.
Verify with the state: official full text and details →. Wording above follows the certified ballot language; The Ballot Brief does not take positions on measures.
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Other Massachusetts statewide measures in 2026
All Massachusetts 2026 ballot measures · Massachusetts candidates