Truly Local News Delivered To Every Home In Town
Reporter Today logo
October 19, 2026

Live debate: Should Mass. adopt all-party primary elections?

Posted
The Codcast from CommonWealth Beacon. Image of a cod fish wearing headphones and speaking into a microphone.

EPISODE INFO

HOST: Jennifer Smith and Chris Lisinski

GUESTS: Danielle Allen, Convening Chair of the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, and Jordan Berg Powers, Chair of Voting Rights MA

PERHAPS THE MOST controversial of the nine ballot questions that will appear before Massachusetts voters in November is Question 3, which would replace partisan primaries with all-party primaries for most state, federal, county, and district offices, allowing the two candidates receiving the most votes to advance to the general election.

CommonWealth Beacon hosted a debate on October 13 at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill between Danielle Allen, a Harvard University professor who founded the group advancing the ballot initiative, and Jordan Berg Powers, chair of Voter Rights MA, which is opposing the ballot question.

Courtesy of Commonwealth Beacon

Ballot Questions, Election 2026, The Codcast, podcast, race and ethnicity, wealth gap
Truly local news delivered to every home in town