Mass-Care put single-payer on the ballot in 20 districts as a non-binding public policy question - and the question passed in every district where it appeared. Voters approved single-payer healthcare all across the Commonwealth. Now we bring these results to our legislators!
2022 Ballot Question Districts
WESTERN MASS
Pittsfield
- Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, 2nd Berkshire (75%)
Belchertown, Ludlow, Pelham, New Salem, Petersham, Shutesbury, Wendell
- Rep. Aaron Saunders, 7th Hampden (59%)
Chicopee, W. Springfield, Agawam, Wilbraham, E. Longmeadow, Monson, Springfield, Westfield
- Rep. Michael Finn, 6th Hampden (55%)
- Rep. Shirley Arriaga, 8th Hampden (58%)
- Rep. Angelo Puppolo, 12th Hampden (55%)
Greenfield, Athol, Orange, Erving, Gill, Northfield, Phillipston, Royalston, Warwick, Winchendon
- Rep. Susannah Whipps, 2nd Franklin (64%)
CENTRAL MASS
Acton, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord
- Rep. Simon Cataldo, 14th Middlesex (64%)
Berlin, Boylston, Clinton, Lancaster, Sterling, Northborough
- Rep. Meghan Kilcoyne, 12th Worcester (56%)
Framingham, Marlborough
- Rep. Danielle Gregoire, 4th Middlesex (63%)
EASTERN MASS
Arlington, Cambridge, Medford
- Rep. Sean Garballey, 23rd Middlesex (74%)
- Rep. Marjorie Decker, 25th Middlesex (85%)
Boston: Dorchester, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain; Milton
- Rep. Brandy Fluker-Oakley, 12th Suffolk (77%)
- Rep. Dan Hunt, 13th Suffolk (68%)
- Rep. Sam Montaño, 15th Suffolk (88%)
Malden, Medford, Somerville
- Rep. Stephen Ultrino, 33rd Middlesex (73%)
- Rep. Christine Barber, 34th Middlesex (80%)
- Rep. Paul Donato, 35th Middlesex (70%)
NORTH SHORE
Newburyport, Amesbury, Merrimac, Salisbury
- Rep. Dawne Shand, 1st Essex (63%)
SOUTH SHORE
Holbrook, Quincy, Weymouth
- Rep. Ron Mariano, 3rd Norfolk (61%)
Hingham, Hull, Cohasset
- Rep. Joan Meschino, 3rd Plymouth (57%)
CAMPAIGN BASICS
WHAT is a non-binding ballot initiative?
A non-binding public policy question is a question presented to voters in a specific state senate or representative district.
To get a question on the ballot, your group must collect enough signatures (200 in a Rep district; 1200 in a Senate district) and submit them to the city/town for certification. If approved, the policy question will appear on the November 2022 ballot in that state senate or rep district.
WHY a non-binding ballot initiative?
If passed, legislators are not required to become cosponsors; however, majority support can be used effectively in campaigns. In 2018, non-binding ballot initiatives were used to successfully pressure Rep. Vega in 5th Hampden, and demonstrate support in 5 other co-sponsoring districts in Western Massachusetts.
The ballot alone will not work to move legislators; but it’s a great tool to create organization in the district. And the reason legislators have resisted cosponsoring the bill so far is because their districts have not yet been organized enough to hold them to account.
The ballot question gives us an opportunity to:
- let constituents know where their Rep is NOT a cosponsor and help them take action
- back up cosponsoring Reps with the demonstrated support of their constituents
- bring more people into our organizations and the Medicare for All movement
- educate the district about Medicare for All, and the potential to pass M4A in the state
- demonstrate that M4A has wide support in the district
Because the ballot alone will not work to move legislators, we’ll need to run a campaign with the ultimate goal of not just getting onto the ballot and passing with majority support, but also building local power.
What is the language of the ballot initiative?
"Shall the Representative from this District be instructed to vote for legislation to create a single payer system of universal health care that provides all Massachusetts residents with comprehensive health care coverage including the freedom to choose doctors and other health care professionals, facilities, and services, and eliminates the role of insurance companies in health care by creating an insurance trust fund that is publicly administered?”
Partnership with Act on Mass
Act on Mass, the leading advocacy group on state house transparency, is also running a ballot question and will be joining forces with Mass-Care! Every team doing either the single payer ballot question or the Act on Mass question will have the option to include the other while canvassing.
This collaboration is really important, not only because Mass-Care is fully on board with confronting the anti-democratic status quo of our State House, but also because it will be near impossible to win any transformative reforms (including Medicare for All!) without transparency reform.
What is the language of the Act on Mass ballot initiative?
"Shall the representative for this district be instructed to vote in favor of changes to the applicable House of Representative rules to make each legislator’s vote in that body's Legislative committees publicly available on the Legislature's website?"
Resources
Mass-Care put single-payer on the ballot in 20 districts as a non-binding public policy question - and the question passed in every district where it appeared. Voters approved single-payer healthcare all across the Commonwealth. Now we bring these results to our legislators!
2022 Ballot Question Districts
WESTERN MASS
Pittsfield
- Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, 2nd Berkshire (75%)
Belchertown, Ludlow, Pelham, New Salem, Petersham, Shutesbury, Wendell
- Rep. Aaron Saunders, 7th Hampden (59%)
Chicopee, W. Springfield, Agawam, Wilbraham, E. Longmeadow, Monson, Springfield, Westfield
- Rep. Michael Finn, 6th Hampden (55%)
- Rep. Shirley Arriaga, 8th Hampden (58%)
- Rep. Angelo Puppolo, 12th Hampden (55%)
Greenfield, Athol, Orange, Erving, Gill, Northfield, Phillipston, Royalston, Warwick, Winchendon
- Rep. Susannah Whipps, 2nd Franklin (64%)
CENTRAL MASS
Acton, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord
- Rep. Simon Cataldo, 14th Middlesex (64%)
Berlin, Boylston, Clinton, Lancaster, Sterling, Northborough
- Rep. Meghan Kilcoyne, 12th Worcester (56%)
Framingham, Marlborough
- Rep. Danielle Gregoire, 4th Middlesex (63%)
EASTERN MASS
Arlington, Cambridge, Medford
- Rep. Sean Garballey, 23rd Middlesex (74%)
- Rep. Marjorie Decker, 25th Middlesex (85%)
Boston: Dorchester, Mattapan, Jamaica Plain; Milton
- Rep. Brandy Fluker-Oakley, 12th Suffolk (77%)
- Rep. Dan Hunt, 13th Suffolk (68%)
- Rep. Sam Montaño, 15th Suffolk (88%)
Malden, Medford, Somerville
- Rep. Stephen Ultrino, 33rd Middlesex (73%)
- Rep. Christine Barber, 34th Middlesex (80%)
- Rep. Paul Donato, 35th Middlesex (70%)
NORTH SHORE
Newburyport, Amesbury, Merrimac, Salisbury
- Rep. Dawne Shand, 1st Essex (63%)
SOUTH SHORE
Holbrook, Quincy, Weymouth
- Rep. Ron Mariano, 3rd Norfolk (61%)
Hingham, Hull, Cohasset
- Rep. Joan Meschino, 3rd Plymouth (57%)
CAMPAIGN BASICS
WHAT is a non-binding ballot initiative?
A non-binding public policy question is a question presented to voters in a specific state senate or representative district.
To get a question on the ballot, your group must collect enough signatures (200 in a Rep district; 1200 in a Senate district) and submit them to the city/town for certification. If approved, the policy question will appear on the November 2022 ballot in that state senate or rep district.
WHY a non-binding ballot initiative?
If passed, legislators are not required to become cosponsors; however, majority support can be used effectively in campaigns. In 2018, non-binding ballot initiatives were used to successfully pressure Rep. Vega in 5th Hampden, and demonstrate support in 5 other co-sponsoring districts in Western Massachusetts.
The ballot alone will not work to move legislators; but it’s a great tool to create organization in the district. And the reason legislators have resisted cosponsoring the bill so far is because their districts have not yet been organized enough to hold them to account.
The ballot question gives us an opportunity to:
- let constituents know where their Rep is NOT a cosponsor and help them take action
- back up cosponsoring Reps with the demonstrated support of their constituents
- bring more people into our organizations and the Medicare for All movement
- educate the district about Medicare for All, and the potential to pass M4A in the state
- demonstrate that M4A has wide support in the district
Because the ballot alone will not work to move legislators, we’ll need to run a campaign with the ultimate goal of not just getting onto the ballot and passing with majority support, but also building local power.
What is the language of the ballot initiative?
"Shall the Representative from this District be instructed to vote for legislation to create a single payer system of universal health care that provides all Massachusetts residents with comprehensive health care coverage including the freedom to choose doctors and other health care professionals, facilities, and services, and eliminates the role of insurance companies in health care by creating an insurance trust fund that is publicly administered?”
Partnership with Act on Mass
Act on Mass, the leading advocacy group on state house transparency, is also running a ballot question and will be joining forces with Mass-Care! Every team doing either the single payer ballot question or the Act on Mass question will have the option to include the other while canvassing.
This collaboration is really important, not only because Mass-Care is fully on board with confronting the anti-democratic status quo of our State House, but also because it will be near impossible to win any transformative reforms (including Medicare for All!) without transparency reform.
What is the language of the Act on Mass ballot initiative?
"Shall the representative for this district be instructed to vote in favor of changes to the applicable House of Representative rules to make each legislator’s vote in that body's Legislative committees publicly available on the Legislature's website?"