Question 2: Collective Bargaining for Public Defender (CPCS) Employees
My vote power
Above average
Election date
November 3, 2026
Question 2: Collective Bargaining for Public Defender (CPCS) Employees is a ballot measure in Massachusetts on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Lets state public defender employees at the Committee for Public Counsel Services form a union and bargain over pay and working conditions. Any raises would come from the state budget, so taxpayers would pay.
How do we calculate my vote power?
What determines the vote power rating for ballot measures: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. You have more power in ballot measures because you vote directly on the policy.
Representation: Average · 50 out of 100
This district covers a large share of its state, so each vote carries about average weight — like a vote in a statewide race. About 7,044,056 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(7,044,056 ÷ 7,044,056) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50, measured against a statewide vote in MA (grades: 66+ high, 55+ above average, 33+ average, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Average representation + a direct vote on the policy → My vote power: Above average.
What does this measure do?
Lets state public defender employees at the Committee for Public Counsel Services form a union and bargain over pay and working conditions. Any raises would come from the state budget, so taxpayers would pay.
A YES vote means
Public defender employees could form a union and bargain with their employer, which must then ask the governor to fund the contract.
A NO vote means
Public defender employees keep no collective bargaining right; the Legislature keeps setting their pay.
Sources: ballotpedia.org · tischcollege.tufts.edu · en.wikipedia.org
Last updated September 24, 2026.