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Summary of Question 2
This proposed law would implement a voting system known as 'ranked-choice voting,' in which voters rank one or more candidates by order of preference. Ranked-choice voting would be used in primary and general elections for all Massachusetts statewide offices, state legislative offices, federal congressional offices, and certain other offices beginning in 2022. Ranked-choice voting would not be used in elections for president, county commissioner, or regional district school committee member. Under the proposed law, votes would be counted in a series of rounds. In the first round, if one candidate received more than 50 percent of the first-place votes, that candidate would be declared the winner and no other rounds would be necessary. If no candidate received more than 50 percent of the first-place votes, then the candidate or candidates who received the fewest first-place votes would be eliminated and, in the next round, each vote for an eliminated candidate would instead be counted toward the next highest-ranked candidate on that voter's ballot. Depending on the number of candidates, additional rounds of counting could occur, with the last-place candidate or candidates in each round being eliminated and the votes for an eliminated candidate going to the voter's next choice out of the remaining candidates. A tie for last place in any round would be broken by comparing the tied candidates' support in earlier rounds. Ultimately, the candidate who was, out of the remaining candidates, the preference of a majority of voters would be declared the winner. Ranked-choice voting would be used only in races where a single candidate is to be declared the winner and not in races where more than one person is to be elected. Under the proposed law, if no candidate received more than 50 percent of first-place votes in the first round, the rounds of ballot-counting necessary for ranked-choice voting would be conducted at a central tabulation facility. At the facility, voters' rankings would be entered into a computer, which would then be used to calculate the results of each round of the counting process. The proposed law provides that candidates in a statewide or district election would have at least three days to request a recount. The Secretary of State would be required to issue regulations to implement the proposed law and conduct a voter education campaign about the ranked-choice voting process. The proposed law would take effect on January 1, 2022.""

2020 - Statewide - Question 2Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives on or before May 5, 2020?

View as: # | %  
County Blanks Total Votes Cast
Barnstable More »
 
51,695
90,058
9,759
151,512
Berkshire More »
 
31,141
35,742
4,888
71,771
Bristol More »
 
97,025
164,668
19,671
281,364
Dukes More »
 
6,473
5,644
756
12,873
Essex More »
 
168,015
231,002
25,582
424,599
Franklin More »
 
22,011
18,699
2,293
43,003
Hampden More »
 
73,043
130,131
17,619
220,793
Hampshire More »
 
46,824
37,599
3,909
88,332
Middlesex More »
 
431,940
387,543
49,864
869,347
Nantucket More »
 
3,007
3,670
661
7,338
Norfolk More »
 
173,122
210,597
27,323
411,042
Plymouth More »
 
100,046
187,465
16,359
303,870
Suffolk More »
 
183,920
122,106
31,214
337,240
Worcester More »
 
161,657
252,523
20,741
434,921
Totals
1,549,919
1,877,447
230,639 3,658,005