60:
To be recognized as a political designation in
Massachusetts, fifty registered voters must file a document with the state seeking this status. To be recognized as a political party, a designation must either have obtained at least 3% of the vote for any state-wide office at the preceding biennial
107:, and cannot cross-over to vote in another party's primary, but "unenrolled" voters may cast a primary ballot for any one of the parties. Political designations are treated as "unenrolled" voters for primary purposes, and so they too may choose to vote in one of the party primaries.
64:
Election ballots include the candidates' names followed by either the candidates' party or their designation. In many cases, non-party designations still include the word "party" in their name. In 2023, however, only three such designations are recognized as parties: the
114:
requesting that they, or any other voters, may change their registration to such designation." These non-party political designations may field candidates for statewide office, if they petition with a sufficient number of signatures (10,000).
420:
704:
52:, while political designations do not. A political designation is a one-to-three word descriptive term which may appear next to candidates' names on election ballots.
679:
127:
111:
45:
901:
671:
435:
896:
773:
103:
All registered voters may vote in general elections. Massachusetts voters enrolled in a particular party may vote only in that party's
747:
615:
86:
33:
731:
110:
Under
Massachusetts law, a political designation is created when fifty registered Massachusetts voters "file a form with the
801:
130:
listed three officially recognized political parties and 30 officially recognized political designations in
Massachusetts.
881:
891:
610:
250:
235:
179:
118:
The various political designations have generally small membership, although they have attracted some media attention.
74:
334:
100:
Voters may change their enrollment status with their election official, with a deadline ten days before an election.
886:
465:
450:
639:
846:
164:
149:
89:
may choose to (1) enroll in a political party; (2) enroll with a political designation; or (3) choose to be an
70:
66:
17:
743:
377:
207:
832:
506:
854:
575:
521:
8:
280:
94:
41:
806:
778:
349:
759:
405:
104:
90:
49:
37:
265:
875:
61:
state election, or have enrolled at least 1% of all registered voters.
21:
774:"Libertarian Petition in Massachusetts Has Enough Valid Signatures"
802:"Tired of politics as usual? Tap your inner pirate, or try pizza"
829:
Cambridge
Election Commission Voter Registration Training Manual
762:, City of Boston Election Department (accessed August 27, 2016).
672:"Massachusetts Directory of Political Parties and Designations"
732:
Political
Parties and Political Designations, As of 12/31/2014
121:
36:
may choose to enroll. Voters may also choose to remain as "
640:"General Laws, Part I, Title VIII, Chapter 50, Section 1"
644:
The
General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
734:, Town of North Reading (accessed August 27, 2016).
80:
873:
680:Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
727:
725:
760:Frequently Asked Questions for New Voters
748:National Conference of State Legislatures
616:Political party strength in Massachusetts
698:
696:
122:List of current parties and designations
847:"Town of Reading Election Staff Manual"
722:
874:
771:
705:"In Mass., there's even a Pizza Party"
702:
835:: City of Cambridge. 2011. p. 5.
799:
693:
666:
664:
662:
660:
902:Massachusetts politics-related lists
13:
897:Political parties in Massachusetts
657:
611:List of elections in Massachusetts
14:
913:
793:
772:Winger, Richard (8 August 2016).
703:Rhodes, George (6 August 2015).
839:
596:non-party political designation
583:non-party political designation
568:non-party political designation
555:non-party political designation
542:non-party political designation
529:non-party political designation
514:non-party political designation
499:non-party political designation
486:non-party political designation
473:non-party political designation
458:non-party political designation
443:non-party political designation
428:non-party political designation
413:non-party political designation
398:non-party political designation
385:non-party political designation
370:non-party political designation
357:non-party political designation
342:non-party political designation
327:non-party political designation
321:Massachusetts Independent Party
314:non-party political designation
301:non-party political designation
288:non-party political designation
273:non-party political designation
258:non-party political designation
243:non-party political designation
228:non-party political designation
215:non-party political designation
200:non-party political designation
855:Town of Reading, Massachusetts
821:
765:
753:
737:
632:
81:Enrolled and unenrolled voters
24:), there are three recognized
1:
626:
128:Secretary of the Commonwealth
112:Secretary of the Commonwealth
55:
18:Commonwealth of Massachusetts
800:Quinn, Tom (14 April 2016).
744:State Primary Election Types
7:
604:
10:
918:
882:United States election law
208:American Independent Party
892:Politics of Massachusetts
493:Timesizing Not Downsizing
833:Cambridge, Massachusetts
646:. State of Massachusetts
621:
507:United Independent Party
295:Interdependent 3rd Party
887:Massachusetts elections
536:Veterans Party America
30:political designations
28:and an additional 29
590:World Citizens Party
480:Twelve Visions Party
222:American Term Limits
281:Green-Rainbow Party
194:America First Party
807:Worcester Magazine
779:Ballot Access News
350:New Alliance Party
251:Constitution Party
236:Conservative Party
85:In Massachusetts,
602:
601:
421:Rainbow Coalition
406:Prohibition Party
364:New World Council
335:Natural Law Party
308:Latino-Vote Party
87:registered voters
75:Libertarian Party
50:primary elections
46:Political parties
38:unenrolled voters
34:registered voters
26:political parties
909:
867:
866:
864:
862:
857:. March 26, 2022
843:
837:
836:
825:
819:
818:
816:
814:
797:
791:
790:
788:
786:
769:
763:
757:
751:
750:(July 21, 2016).
741:
735:
729:
720:
719:
717:
715:
700:
691:
690:
688:
686:
668:
655:
654:
652:
651:
636:
576:Working Families
165:Republican Party
150:Democratic Party
133:
132:
126:As of 2023, the
91:unenrolled voter
71:Democratic Party
67:Republican Party
917:
916:
912:
911:
910:
908:
907:
906:
872:
871:
870:
860:
858:
845:
844:
840:
827:
826:
822:
812:
810:
798:
794:
784:
782:
770:
766:
758:
754:
742:
738:
730:
723:
713:
711:
701:
694:
684:
682:
676:sec.state.ma.us
670:
669:
658:
649:
647:
638:
637:
633:
629:
624:
607:
266:Green Party USA
187:political party
172:political party
157:political party
139:MA Abbreviation
124:
83:
58:
12:
11:
5:
915:
905:
904:
899:
894:
889:
884:
869:
868:
838:
820:
792:
764:
752:
736:
721:
692:
656:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
619:
618:
613:
606:
603:
600:
599:
597:
594:
591:
587:
586:
584:
581:
578:
572:
571:
569:
566:
563:
559:
558:
556:
553:
550:
546:
545:
543:
540:
537:
533:
532:
530:
527:
524:
518:
517:
515:
512:
509:
503:
502:
500:
497:
494:
490:
489:
487:
484:
481:
477:
476:
474:
471:
468:
466:People's Party
462:
461:
459:
456:
453:
447:
446:
444:
441:
438:
432:
431:
429:
426:
423:
417:
416:
414:
411:
408:
402:
401:
399:
396:
393:
389:
388:
386:
383:
380:
374:
373:
371:
368:
365:
361:
360:
358:
355:
352:
346:
345:
343:
340:
337:
331:
330:
328:
325:
322:
318:
317:
315:
312:
309:
305:
304:
302:
299:
296:
292:
291:
289:
286:
283:
277:
276:
274:
271:
268:
262:
261:
259:
256:
253:
247:
246:
244:
241:
238:
232:
231:
229:
226:
223:
219:
218:
216:
213:
210:
204:
203:
201:
198:
195:
191:
190:
188:
185:
182:
176:
175:
173:
170:
167:
161:
160:
158:
155:
152:
146:
145:
143:
140:
137:
123:
120:
82:
79:
57:
54:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
914:
903:
900:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
883:
880:
879:
877:
856:
852:
848:
842:
834:
830:
824:
809:
808:
803:
796:
781:
780:
775:
768:
761:
756:
749:
745:
740:
733:
728:
726:
710:
709:Sun Chronicle
706:
699:
697:
681:
677:
673:
667:
665:
663:
661:
645:
641:
635:
631:
617:
614:
612:
609:
608:
598:
595:
592:
589:
588:
585:
582:
579:
577:
574:
573:
570:
567:
564:
562:Workers Party
561:
560:
557:
554:
551:
549:We The People
548:
547:
544:
541:
538:
535:
534:
531:
528:
525:
523:
520:
519:
516:
513:
510:
508:
505:
504:
501:
498:
495:
492:
491:
488:
485:
482:
479:
478:
475:
472:
469:
467:
464:
463:
460:
457:
454:
452:
449:
448:
445:
442:
439:
437:
434:
433:
430:
427:
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422:
419:
418:
415:
412:
409:
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404:
403:
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397:
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390:
387:
384:
381:
379:
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148:
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138:
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119:
116:
113:
108:
106:
101:
98:
96:
92:
88:
78:
76:
72:
68:
62:
53:
51:
47:
43:
39:
35:
31:
27:
23:
19:
859:. Retrieved
850:
841:
828:
823:
811:. Retrieved
805:
795:
783:. Retrieved
777:
767:
755:
739:
712:. Retrieved
708:
685:February 19,
683:. Retrieved
675:
648:. Retrieved
643:
634:
436:Reform Party
125:
117:
109:
102:
99:
84:
63:
59:
42:independents
29:
25:
15:
861:February 4,
522:Unity Party
392:Pizza Party
180:Libertarian
136:Designation
95:independent
876:Categories
650:2022-11-28
627:References
93:(i.e., an
73:, and the
56:Background
22:U.S. state
851:Elections
451:Socialist
40:" (i.e.,
32:in which
813:8 August
785:8 August
714:8 August
605:See also
105:primary
16:In the
378:Pirate
69:, the
622:Notes
48:hold
863:2023
815:2016
787:2016
716:2016
687:2022
142:Type
97:).
44:).
20:(a
878::
853:.
849:.
831:.
804:.
776:.
746:,
724:^
707:.
695:^
678:.
674:.
659:^
642:.
511:CC
483:DD
470:FF
395:AA
311:EE
225:BB
77:.
865:.
817:.
789:.
718:.
689:.
653:.
593:Y
580:Z
565:-
552:H
539:W
526:-
496:M
455:S
440:E
425:F
410:P
382:X
367:C
354:N
339:B
324:O
298:T
285:J
270:G
255:K
240:A
212:Q
197:V
184:L
169:R
154:D
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