Question 9: should the 2024 state firearms law stay in place?

Question 9 is not a new law. The Legislature passed the firearms law in 2024, and this is a veto referendum, so the wording works differently from the other questions.

A Yes vote keeps the law. A No vote repeals it, but only if No wins a majority and equals 30% of all ballots cast.

Supporters say the law covers ghost guns and expands tools to prevent firearm suicide. Opponents call it bureaucratic overreach and raise privacy objections to its data dashboard.

As of Oct. 26, the Yes side had reported about $791,000 and the No side about $593,000, according to the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance.

Read the full Question 9 explainer, with what each vote does, the background, the data and every source. The Cape Ann Current takes no position on any ballot question.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting runs through Thursday, Oct. 29, in Essex and through Friday, Oct. 30, in Gloucester, Rockport and Manchester; see the last week of early voting for hours. All nine questions and the candidates are in our Election 2026 guide.