Today is election day, Tuesday, November 6th. There are some big races going on across the country but what's going on here in Massachusetts is what affects us most directly. Among some of the more popular races grabbing the most attention is the Governor's race between current Republican Governor seeking re-election Charlie Baker against Democrat candidate Jay Gonzalez and the Senate race between defending Elizabeth Warren and Republican candidate Geoff Diehl.
Aside from the candidates, we have some questions on the ballot here in Massachusetts that have voters coming out in droves to the polls. What are they? Here is a breakdown of the questions here in MA on the ballot and what they are proposing:
QUESTION 1:
Nurse-Patient Assignment Limits Initiative
This question is regarding healthcare in the state. In essence what it's doing is pitting the Massachusetts healthcare system against the MA Nurse's Association. It raises the question of what the patient/nurse ratio and protocol should be. This is what a yes or no vote would mean when voting on this question:
- Yes Vote: supports establishing patient assignment limits for registered nurses working in hospitals.
- No Vote: opposes this initiative to establish patient assignment limits for registered nurses working in hospitals, thereby leaving the existing laws and rules in place.
QUESTION 2:
Advisory Commission for Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Regarding Corporate Personhood and Political Spending Initiative
This question proposes the idea of creating a commission to look into political spending across the state. The commission would recommend amendments to the Constitution “to establish that corporations do not have the same Constitutional rights as human beings and that campaign contributions and expenditures may be regulated."
This is what a yes/no vote on the question would mean:
- Yes Vote: is a vote in favor of establishing a 15-member citizens' commission to advocate for certain amendments to the US Constitution regarding political spending and corporate personhood.
- No Vote: is a vote against creating a 15-member citizens' commission to advocate for certain amendments to the US Constitution regarding political spending and corporate personhood.
QUESTION 3:
Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination Veto Referendum
This question asks the question of whether you want to overturn the current "bathroom bill" law that is in place. This pertains to the allowance of transgender individuals in bathrooms of whose gender they identify with most, not necessarily their biological sex. The current law allows transgenders to go into any public restroom they identify with.
This is what a yes/no vote on Question 3 would mean:
- Yes Vote: supports upholding Senate Bill 2407, a bill to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in public places—such as hotels, restaurants, and stores.
- No Vote: opposes SB 2407 and repeals the law designed to prohibit discrimination based on gender identity in public places—such as hotels, restaurants, and stores.
That's a breakdown of your questions. Be sure to familiarize yourself with each one, study it, think about it and go vote! Happy Election Day!
-Producer Lightning