Massachusetts Voters Decide Gun Law Repeal Question
Ballot Question #9 asks voters whether to repeal Chapter 135, a gun control law passed in 2024.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Law
Live Poll
Should Massachusetts repeal its 2024 gun control law, Chapter 135?
Massachusetts voters will decide Ballot Question #9 on November 3, 2026, on whether to repeal Chapter 135, a gun control law passed in 2024. The Civil Rights Coalition gathered 100,000 signatures to place the question on the ballot.
Why it matters
The outcome will determine whether the state's 2024 gun control law remains in effect, with voters who favor repeal required to vote 'no' on the question as drafted. The question's wording was drafted by Massachusetts Attorney General Campbell.
The Civil Rights Coalition certified 100,000 signatures to place Ballot Question #9 on the ballot, which will be decided on November 3, 2026. Estimates of Massachusetts gun laws range from 600-900 pages for federal and state statutes to over 1,500 pages including cases and local law, and the total outcome of the vote remains unknown.
The players
Jim Wallace
Jim Wallace is executive director of the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League (GOAL), a gun-rights advocacy group based in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League (GOAL)
The Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League is a gun-rights advocacy organization that works on firearms legislation in the state.
Campbell
Campbell is the Massachusetts Attorney General who drafted the wording of Ballot Question #9.
The details
Ballot Question #9 asks whether to repeal Chapter 135, and voters who want the law repealed must vote 'no' on the question as drafted. Jim Wallace, executive director of the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League (GOAL), asked an artificial intelligence tool to compile every Massachusetts gun law and regulation in full text, and the tool estimated more than 1,500 pages.
Timeline
2024: Chapter 135 gun control law was passed.
November 3, 2026: Massachusetts voters decide Ballot Question #9 on repealing Chapter 135.
Legal Context
Ballot Question #9 places the 2024 Chapter 135 gun control law directly before voters, making the November 2026 election a referendum on that specific statute. The question also highlights how Massachusetts gun regulation has accumulated across statutes, regulations and court cases, which GOAL estimated at more than 1,500 pages.
Massachusetts residents who want to repeal Chapter 135 must vote 'no' on Ballot Question #9 as drafted, a detail that reverses the usual logic of the ballot. The result will directly determine whether the 2024 gun control rules stay in force for gun owners and retailers across the state.
The takeaway
Voters wishing to repeal Chapter 135 should read Ballot Question #9 carefully, because a 'no' vote is required to repeal the law. Checking the exact wording before November 3, 2026 helps avoid casting a vote opposite to one's intent.
What happens next
Massachusetts voters will decide Ballot Question #9 on November 3, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more Massachusetts Law coverage for context on the state's legal framework.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Liberty Park Press.
Live Poll
Should Massachusetts repeal its 2024 gun control law, Chapter 135?
