The Massachusetts Elections Division announced Thursday that it has certified five questions to advance toward the 2026 state election ballot.

About 15 municipalities across the country, including ones in Maryland, California, Vermont and New Jersey, have extended voting rights to 16- and 17-year-olds in local elections, according to Vote16USA, a group that advocates for lowering the voting age to 16.

Do you trust the election system in Massachusetts? Do you believe Massachusetts elections are above board and free from fraud? Do you believe only eligible, legal voters cast ballots in the state? We won’t know the answers to those questions because Secretary of State William Galvin,

Massachusetts voters could face an unprecedented ballot lineup in 2026, with a record 44 statewide measures now certified and working through the petition process. Why it matters: Voters usually have to decide on only a handful of ballot questions each election,

With the start of 2026, several new laws and regulations will take effect across Massachusetts. Gov. Maura Healey signed 186 bills into law during 2025, according to her office. The vast majority of them dealt with municipal, individual or location-specific issues, like alcohol licenses, personnel issues or property transfers.