Brookline voters weighing three statewide ballot questions ahead of the Nov. 3 election can tune into a new series of university-hosted forums starting Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The Commonwealth Ballot Forum Initiative, a partnership among Worcester State University, Salem State University and UMass Amherst, will hold free public forums on Questions 4, 7 and 9, according to Patch. All three sessions will be recorded and posted online.
The schedule:
- Wednesday, Oct. 7, 9:30 a.m.: Worcester State hosts a forum on Question 4, same-day voter registration, in the Fuller Theater of the Shaughnessy Administration Building. Panelists include elected officials, civic organizations and the Worcester City Clerk's Office.
- Thursday, Oct. 8, 12:15 p.m.: Salem State hosts a forum on Question 7, single-family zoning lot sizes, at Forten 123 on the Harrington Campus. Andrew Mikula, campaign chair for the Yes on 7 Campaign, and Dave Koffman, legislative director with the Massachusetts Municipal Association, will debate.
- Thursday, Oct. 8, noon: UMass Amherst hosts a forum on Question 9, the 2024 gun law referendum, at Old Chapel at Great Hall. Toby Leary of the Civil Rights Coalition (No on 9) and Megan DesAutels of the Yes on 9 Campaign will speak.
What the questions would do
Question 4 would let eligible residents register to vote or update their address at the polls on Election Day. Voters would need proof of residency and a signed oath. The change would take effect Jan. 1, 2028.
Question 7 would require every city and town to allow single-family homes on residential lots of at least 5,000 square feet with 50 feet of street frontage and access to public water and sewer. Communities would keep control over height, setbacks, parking and open space. Many Massachusetts municipalities currently require lots of 40,000 square feet or more, according to Governing magazine.
Max Woolf, then public policy manager for the Charles River Regional Chamber, said in August 2025 testimony on Beacon Hill that minimum lot sizes in the chamber's communities "are often triple what this initiative would allow, effectively guaranteeing that when a property turns over, the result is one large, expensive home rather than several attainable ones."
A Tufts University analysis estimated the measure would generate roughly 750 new homes per year statewide, with a range of 350 to 1,200.
The Massachusetts Municipal Association opposes Question 7, arguing land-use decisions should remain local and that sewer and water access does not guarantee system capacity.
Question 9 is a veto referendum on the 2024 gun law signed by Gov. Maura Healey. A "yes" vote keeps the law. A "no" vote repeals it. The law bans untraceable "ghost guns," expands "red flag" laws and outlaws devices that convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns.
Where voters stand
A MassINC Polling Group survey of 800 likely voters, conducted Sept. 14–22, found 70% support for Question 9, 53% for Question 4 and 51% for Question 7, as reported by the Amherst Indy. The poll carries a credibility interval of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
Megan Moran, director of the John Binienda Center for Civic Engagement at Worcester State, said the initiative aims to boost voter engagement and civic education ahead of the election.
All three forums are free and open to the public, with recordings available afterward.
