An excellent initiative seems likely to have qualified in Massachusetts. It would legalize “fusion” (the practice of letting two parties jointly nominate the same candidate). Also, it would make it substantially easier for a party to remain qualified. The initiative needed 65,825 signatures, and proponents turned in 109,000.

Current law requires parties to poll 3% for one statewide nominee, every election. Many minor parties can easily meet this requirement in mid-term years, and can even meet it fairly regularly in presidential years if there is a U.S. Senate race up that year also. But in years like 2004, when the only statewide race was president, it is rare for minor parties to pass the test. For example, in 2004, both the Libertarian Party and the Green Party went off the ballot.

The initiative would change the vote test, so that a party can survive if it met the vote test at either of the last two elections.