Comments on: Did the Vermont Progressive Party Win a State Senate Seat?

By: Ben

Ben — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:47:22 +0000

Richard, has this ever happened in MA? It doesn’t sound like it would be too hard, unless you wanted a big “D” next to your name. The chance that there is a GOP candidate in any one district is next to zero and there are sometimes 3rd parties with “major” status – in either case, a small handful of write-in votes in the party primary should be enough to get a fusion ticket.

By: Richard

Richard — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:23:46 +0000

California and Massachusetts allow fusion if a candidate can win a primary (of the party he or she isn’t a member of) by write-in votes. Ben is right, but when that happens the candidate can have both party names next to the name on the general election ballot. I have election returns that show two party names.

By: Ben

Ben — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:13:49 +0000

I was going to ask the same thing as James. But if I remember the law correctly, I think it might be possible to gain ballot access and then independently win the primary of a second party as a write-in. You then have to choose the party you want to appear next to your name.

By: James O'Keefe

James O'Keefe — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:48:12 +0000

Since when does Massachusetts allow fusion? The fusion ballot measure lost 2 to 1 in 2006.