HYANNIS – Massachusetts voters approved one statewide ballot question on Tuesday and rejected another in an election that saw near a near record turnout.
Question 1 passed with a strong majority, allowing independent auto repair businesses to have access to data collected by cars to fix vehicles.
Opponents had said that Question 1 could risk owner’s personal data as well as safety.
With the approval, cars 2022 model or newer must be equipped by manufacturers with a standardized, open access platform that would allow auto repair shops to wirelessly access mechanical data using a smartphone-based app with owner’s permission.
Currently, telematics data generated by sensors in the cars is transmitted to servers only the automakers can access.
Supporters of Question 1 said that the telematics data only being available to the manufacturer means car owners must take the car to its original automaker to receive service and make repairs, diminishing consumer choice in where they can take their cars.
Opponents had said that the issue of telematics is already covered under the right-to-repair-law that was introduced in 2013.
Voters rejected a move to implement ranked choice voting in Massachusetts.
Question Two would have potentially made ranked choice voting the election method for some races with three or more candidates beginning in 2022.
In short, it would have created a system where voters would rank candidates based on preference.
From there, if a candidate did not get more than half of the top preference votes, the candidate ranking last would have their voters’ ballots redistributed to their next preferred candidate in a run-off.
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