Every two years voters in Massachusetts are given the opportunity to vote on citizen-initiated ballot questions.  But the process for getting a question on the November ballot is a 12 to 18 month process, all governed by Amendment 48 to the Massachusetts constitution.  Having knowledgeable counsel can make the difference in navigating the process and getting on the ballot.

I served as the principal counsel on the 2022 “dental ballot” question (Question 2) and the 2020 ranked choice voting campaign (also Question 2). For both campaigns I oversaw the full legal process, from drafting the statutory language of the ballot question, to interactions and negotiations with the Office of the Attorney General, through final acceptance by the Secretary of the Commonwealth.*

With the initial deadline for the 2024 ballot being August 2, 2023, I stand ready to assist groups with good ideas and who want to make the world a better place, to shape their ballot proposal and get it ready to present to the state authorities.  If you have such an idea, let’s talk.

*In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was part of the team that negotiated a settlement approved by the Supreme Judicial Court to permit electronic signature gathering in spring 2020.  As the attorney most familiar with the intersection of Amendment 48 law and the technical logistics, I was charged with drafting the language that was ultimately sanctioned by the Court.