Idaho voters will pick a state gun while Massachusetts decides on a gun registry law

Idaho’s Republican-led Legislature has placed a nonbinding question on the November ballot asking voters to name an official state gun from six candidates, a symbolic effort intended to increase voter participation in the midterms. About three-fifths of Idaho adults live in households with firearms, and lawmakers hope the vote will highlight the state’s historic ties to guns. Meanwhile, Massachusetts voters will face Question 9, a referendum on a 2024 law that mandates serial numbers and registration for all firearms, bans ghost guns, expands the assault-style weapons prohibition, and widens red-flag authority to include health-care providers and school officials.

The law was enacted immediately after Gov. Maura Healey signed an emergency provision, bypassing the usual hold pending a referendum, which gun-rights advocates say violates their rights. Supporters argue the measure modernizes the state’s gun regulations and improves public safety, while opponents warn a registry could become a target for hackers and criminals. The two ballots illustrate the deep divide in American gun policy, from symbolic celebration in Idaho to stringent regulation in Massachusetts.