Secretary Galvin warns 12 ballot questions could add millions to 2026 election printing and distribution costs

Secretary of the Commonwealth Bill Galvin alerted the committee that a large slate of citizen‑petition ballot questions could substantially raise election costs in 2026. "There are 12 pending ballot questions," Galvin said, and under current constitutional and statutory requirements the state must include full summaries and legislative comments in the voter information booklet and print ballots in required languages and large print formats.

Galvin told the committee the added text will likely force multiple ballot cards per voter in many precincts and estimated a roughly 50 percent increase per precinct in printing costs under current contracts. He also warned the size of the constitutionally required information booklet could grow to roughly 100 pages once legislative comments are added, which may require glued binding rather than staples and add at least an additional $4 million in production costs plus postage. He told the committee the governor included language to allow an apparent in‑year deficit spend for about $15 million, but the Elections office expects a larger shortfall in real costs.

Galvin urged the chairs and members to address funding quickly so the office can meet statutory printing and distribution deadlines. He emphasized that mailing multiple multilanguage ballots and the expanded information booklet are not discretionary: "We have to print everything. We have to. It's the information constitutionally required." The committee signaled intent to follow up with the secretary’s office on the elections accounts.