Massachusetts: Ballot Questions

Looking back on Tuesday's election, some of the most surprising results statewide came on the ballot questions. After studying the returns, several analysts said a mixture of factors - from the money each a campaign spent, to the interest in the presidential election, to well-run campaigns - contributed to the defeat of Question 1 and successes of Questions 2 and 3.

MARLBOROUGH - Some of the voters who came early to the polling place at the Francis J. Kane School shared mixed views on Question 1, the high profile ballot measure that would abolish the state income tax.

If successful, Question 1 would cost the state approximately $12 billion in revenues. Opponents, including most officials on Beacon Hill, say the plan would obliterate state services. Proponents say it would be easy to cut that much waste out of the state government's budget.

The Coalition for our Communities, the organization opposing Question 1, is up with another TV ad that emphasizes the impact the measure would have on public schools.

The ad features a testimony from Chrissy Reeder, a teacher from Mansfield, on how the ballot question, which would abolish the state income tax, would cut school budgets.

The group opposing Question 2 on the ballot Tuesday announced Saturday that former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn has come out against the ballot measure.

The Coalition for Safe Streets said the Massachusetts Catholic Conference mailed a letter Flynn wrote denouncing the ballot measure to 2,200 statewide parish communities.

Question 2 would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.