Olympic bidding group seeks statewide referendum on Boston's bid for 2024 games

The group behind Boston's bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics says it wants the residents of Massachusetts to decide whether to bring the games to the city.

Boston 2024 Chairman John Fish told a gathering of business leaders Tuesday that the privately funded organization will gather signatures to put a question on the November 2016 state ballot.

If the referendum is defeated, Fish says, the group will not go forward with a final bid to host the games. He went further, saying even if the Olympic bid is approved by voters statewide but rejected within the city of Boston, his group would still pull the plug.

The International Olympic Committee is expected to choose a host city for the 2024 games in 2017.