What to Know about Massachusetts Question 4

Recently, Massachusetts passed the Work and Family Mobility Act, which allows all state residents to apply for a driver’s license regardless of one’s immigrantion status, and plans for it to take effect on July 1, 2023. The bill allows over 200,000 undocumented immigrants to obtain a driver’s license and requires individuals to provide some sort of documentation, including proof of identity, residency, and date of birth.

The Work and Family Mobility Act has been contentiously debated for nearly 20 years. Even after its passage this year, Republicans, including Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, have pushed to ensure this bill does not succeed. For example, the Fair and Secure Massachusetts Committee started a petition to knock down the Act, gaining more than 100,000 signatures within eight weeks. The Committee was ultimately successful in its efforts: the Act being put before Massachusetts voters in the November ballot. The Act is now known as Question 4 on the ballot.

Because of the petition, the question was put onto the ballot later than the previous three questions, which means it was not included in the printed “Information for Voters” booklet that is emailed to voting households. Importantly, this exclusion may cause some difficulties on ballot day, as some communities may have trouble reading and understanding the question when they vote. The Secretary of State’s office is currently creating sample ballots and delivering them to communities so they can preview the question.

Question 4 seeks to allow undocumented immigrants to gain access to a driver’s license, like the Work and Mobility Act allows, but with regulations that ensure they are not able to register to vote. The question is stated in order to repeal the current law. A “yes” vote keeps the law in place, and a “no” vote repeals it.

After years of debate, the bill gained enough support this year to pass through the Massachusetts House and Senate. There are already 17 other states that have implemented similar laws with positive impacts. For instance, Brendan Crighton of Safer Roads Massachusetts has cited evidence that hit-and-run accidents have decreased, alongside a decline in the number of people driving unlicensed in these states. Passing this bill, for its supporters, is a matter of safety concerns and building a better tool for law enforcement.

The opposition holds that the Registry of Motor Vehicles does not have the capacity to grant legitimacy to people who are in the country undocumented, and undocumented immigrants should not be getting a license. Another main opposing argument against the Act is that the law can increase the likelihood that undocumented people can register to vote without needing to become a citizen. This concern engendered the aforementioned addition of extra regulations to Question 4. Logistical and immigration concerns dominate the opposition’s position.