November 2026 Ballot Question: The Vote to Repeal Chapter 135

Chapter 135 of the Acts of 2024 is subject to a veto referendum on the November 3, 2026 ballot, which the Secretary of the Commonwealth has designated Question 9 ("Firearms Regulation").

Official Voter Materials

The Secretary of the Commonwealth has published the official Question 9 page in its 2026 Information for Voters materials. Question 9 is titled Firearms Regulation and asks whether voters approve the existing firearms law. The page explains that a YES vote keeps the law and a NO vote repeals it. It includes the official summary and full text of the law, with arguments for each side.^[9]

How the Ballot Question Works

Article 48 permits a veto referendum on laws that are not expressly excluded from the referendum power. If a qualifying referendum petition is filed at least 60 days before the next state election, the law is submitted at that election. Otherwise, it is submitted at the next following state election unless it has been repealed in the meantime.

What the Votes Mean

• YES: Keeps Chapter 135 as enacted. All current provisions remain in effect, including the registration deadline, training requirements, new definitions, and enhanced penalties.
• NO: Repeals Chapter 135 in its entirety if Chapter 135 is not approved by a majority of voters voting on Question 9 and NO votes are at least 30 percent of all ballots cast. The earlier assault-weapon definition and FID licensing provisions would be restored.

What Repeal Would Mean

If Question 9 meets the constitutional repeal conditions, Chapter 135 would be repealed and its changes reversed. Under MGL c. 4, Section 6, clause First, repeal by referendum revives the earlier statutory provisions that the repealed law replaced.^[10]

• The Chapter 135 registration requirement (Section 121B) would be eliminated
• The FID would again cover non-large-capacity semiautomatic rifles and shotguns
• "Assault-style firearm" would revert to the prior "assault weapon" definition. Important: Repealing Chapter 135 would not eliminate Massachusetts' assault weapons ban. The pre-2024 assault-weapons ban would apply. The Chapter 135 changes to the definition would be removed. Firearms prohibited under the pre-2024 assault-weapons ban would remain prohibited. Removing Chapter 135's expanded definition could change the status of firearms prohibited solely by that definition.
• Chapter 135's ghost gun provisions would be removed. Earlier prohibitions on covert and undetectable weapons would remain. Federal law still applies.
• Prohibited areas under Section 10(k) would be eliminated
• The revised training curriculum and live-fire requirement would be removed
• Tiered storage penalties would revert to the prior penalty structure
• ERPO expansion provisions would be rolled back

Repeal would restore the earlier assault-weapons ban and LTC and FID licensing provisions. The earlier statutory roster provisions would also be restored.

Timeline Conflict: Registration and Election

The deadline to register and serialize firearms under Chapter 135 is October 28, 2026, six days before the November 3, 2026 election. Transactions previously recorded do not need to be recorded again. If the law is repealed, the registration requirement would be eliminated prospectively.

Current Status

Chapter 135 took effect on October 2, 2024. The deadline to register and serialize firearms under Chapter 135 is October 28, 2026. If Chapter 135 is not approved by a majority of voters voting on Question 9 and NO votes are at least 30 percent of all ballots cast, the law is repealed on December 3, 2026, 30 days after the election.

Campaign Positions

The Civil Rights Coalition argues in its official NO statement that Chapter 135 imposes administrative burdens on local police and mandates an electronic tracking system without funding or a plan to build it.^[9]

Ned Notis-McConarty authored the official argument in favor for Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts.

This article presents both sides of the ballot question for informational purposes. This site does not endorse or oppose any ballot measure.

Official Vote Statements

The official question asks voters whether they approve the existing law. The official vote statements explain that a YES vote keeps the law and a NO vote repeals it.^[9]

Toby Leary authored the official argument against Question 9 for The Civil Rights Coalition. Its argument asks voters to vote NO to repeal Chapter 135.