Where the Democratic and Republican parties stand

Democratic Party: The party platform already calls for putting the Legislature under the public records law, with exemptions. The Democratic State Committee voted to support Question 1 but did not formally endorse it. A resolution drafted for the committee also asks the Governor and the Legislature not to let a bill passed before or after the election override the vote.

Republican Party: The ballot guide says greater transparency strengthens accountability and lets taxpayers see how decisions that affect them are made.

Democratic Party: The resolution says Democrats have long supported workers' right to organize and bargain, and calls Question 2 consistent with workers' rights and equal access to justice.

Republican Party: The party took no stance.

Democratic Party: The State Committee formally endorsed a No vote. Chair Steve Kerrigan has said it would give more power to wealthy donors and corporate PACs.

Republican Party: The party recommends No. Its guide says the measure would end the party-primary system and cut real choice in November. Chair Amy Carnevale called it a “misguided initiative.”

Democratic Party: The State Committee formally endorsed a Yes vote. I did not find a written explanation from the party beyond the endorsement.

Republican Party: The party recommends No. Its guide says same-day registration opens the door to administrative errors and fraud.

Democratic Party: The resolution says the measure would remove protections for Fair Share Amendment money (the extra tax on high incomes) and force automatic budget cuts it estimates at $2 billion a year. That is the party's estimate. The Question 5 page has the other sources.

Republican Party: The guide says that when government takes in more than it needs, the extra should go back to the people who earned it, not to a bigger bureaucracy.

Democratic Party: This is the mildest resolution of the set. It says a Yes vote fits Democratic values on protecting the environment and investing for the long term.

Republican Party: The guide says setting money aside for one purpose reduces the flexibility lawmakers need to handle the state's most pressing priorities.

Democratic Party: The resolution points to the party platform's call to loosen land-use rules so more housing gets built. It also notes that the state budget office found no negative effect on government finances.

Republican Party: The guide says cities and towns are best placed to decide how much density their infrastructure can support, and that a statewide rule ignores local conditions and neighborhood character.

Democratic Party: The resolution says repeal would cost jobs and tax revenue, and that Massachusetts would be the first state to repeal an operating legal market after voters approved it.

Republican Party: The party took no stance. Its guide only describes the measure as one that would prohibit retail sales of adult recreational marijuana.

Democratic Party: The resolution says Massachusetts has the second lowest homicide rate in the country, and that the 2024 law makes people safer by regulating ghost guns, machine guns and assault-style weapons. A Yes vote keeps the law.

Republican Party: The party recommends No, which repeals the law. Its guide calls the question “Firearm Over Regulation” and says the Legislature's 2024 action threatens fundamental rights.