BOSTON – The Boston Globe has reported that Massachusetts voters "resoundingly" passed the Right to Repair ballot question yesterday.
 
Passage of the ballot measure causes some conflict with the law that was passed in August.
 
According to the Globe report, the ballot measure requires automakers to make diagnostic and repair information available to independent shops and dealers through a universal system by 2015. The compromise legislation, which was signed by the governor in August, gives automakers until 2018 to comply with new regulations.
 
Following passage of the compromise bill earlier this summer, lobbyists said they would initiate a campaign to let voters know they did not need to vote for the measure on the ballot. However, AAA of Southern New England and few other industry organizations began to believe that passage by a vote was in everyone’s best interest to ensure consumers have a choice when getting their vehicles repaired, and stepped up efforts to increase voter awareness in the past several weeks.