Massachusetts: Question 2

The committees that supported and opposed Massachusetts' three ballot questions this year spent more than $11.5 million over the course of their campaigns, according to a recent study by the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

The money came from individuals, unions, corporations and other entities, according to the report. The large sum of money did not set a record for spending on ballot questions in the Bay State, though, as $16 million was spent in 1992 on four 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.

With polls opening in less than 16 hours, PolitickerMA.com asked the local punditry to handicap the state's top of the ballot races. Here's a breakdown of what they said.

Presidential:

Attorney General Martha Coakley said Friday that Question 2, the ballot measure that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, sends the wrong message to children and adolescents.

Coakley, a Medford Democrat, was speaking at a conference with legal officials and school officials in Somerville.