A question asking voters to approve or repeal the new law that allows undocumented immigrants to be issued driver's licenses will be placed on the November ballot.
The bill passed earlier this year despite a veto by Gov. Charlie Baker, but it has continued to spark debate.
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With 71,883 signatures submitted and allowed, the Division of Elections has certified that the question will appear as Question #4 on the November statewide ballot.
State law allows petitioners to bring forth a referendum to strike a newly enacted law if they collect, in this case, 40,120 signatures from Massachusetts voters, of which no more than 10,030 could come from one county, within 90 days after its passage.
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If opponents of the new law pursue that action -- and are successful at gathering signatures -- the timing could line up almost perfectly to put the question before voters at the Nov. 8 election. They'd have until Aug. 24 to submit signatures to local election officials for certification and then Sept. 7 to submit them to Secretary of State William Galvin's office.
Otherwise, a more common initiative petition likely could not go before voters until 2024, more than a year after the July 1, 2023 start date on which immigrants without legal status can begin applying for licenses.
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