WCVB, October 2024
As reliable as the election cycle, the advertisements for ballot questions are once again flooding the internet and the airwaves in Massachusetts. This election, some of the most heavily advertised questions before voters involve whether to set a minimum wage for tipped workers, whether to keep the MCAS test as a graduation requirement and whether to legalize natural psychedelics for treatment.
But a close look at the money that is paying for those ads reveals barely any grass-roots support, meaning small donations from typical voters. Instead, the average donations are thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars, made by wealthy individuals, corporations and unions. Sometimes there is a clear line between the donors’ interests and the outcome of the election. Other times, the connection is not so clear.
