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. 

WHY a non-binding ballot initiative?

If passed, legislators are not required to become cosponsors; however, majority support can be used effectively in campaigns. 

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 would provide all Massachusetts residents with comprehensive health care coverage including the freedom to choose doctors and other health care professionals, facilities, and services and that would eliminate the role of insurance companies in healthcare by creating a publicly administered insurance trust fund?"