11/05/2025
The results are in. In a progressive city with 82,000 residents, Question 3 passed with only 11,500 votes, just 55% of those who cast a ballot. That is clearly not the mandate supporters of Question 3 have claimed, and proves that most Somerville residents do not want to demonize Israel, hurt their neighbors and divide our community.
We asked the Somerville Elections Commission to give voters more information about this inflammatory and vague question, as they did for Question 1. They declined, and in doing so, hurt our democratic process.
The demands of this non-binding ballot question are illegal and discriminatory. Somerville’s newly elected mayor and City Solicitor have confirmed this. We will keep working to educate about the negative impact that Question 3 brings - on each of us, and on our collective ability to do what is needed for our children, our friends, and our city as a whole.
Since October 7, Somerville - like many communities - has seen a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents and hostility toward Jewish neighbors. A Jewish elected official's campaign signs were vandalized with bloody bullet holes, a Jewish home was egged, and Jewish and Israeli parents have to explain to their young children why a Somerville parent is wearing clothing on elementary school property that glorifies Hamas terrorists and calls for violence against Jews. Ballot questions such as this contribute to this climate by normalizing harmful rhetoric and hate; they do a disservice to justice.
This campaign was deeply personal to each of the members of Somerville United Against Discrimination and to many residents in our community. Thank you to our volunteers and supporters for your hard work and dedication. We end this campaign with the strong belief that the majority of our neighbors want Somerville to continue to be the welcoming community we call home.
