Massachusetts, which has denied the Libertarian Party permission to substitute its actual national ticket in place of its stand-in presidential and vice-presidential candidates, permitted Ralph Nader to substitute his actual vice-presidential candidate for his stand-in vice-presidential candidate in 2004. Nader started petitioning in Massachusetts in April 2004, with petitions listing Jan Pearce as his stand-in vice-presidential candidate. On June 21, Nader chose Peter Camejo as his actual vice-presidential candidate. Massachusetts elections officials told Nader he would be permitted to make the vice-presidential switch. As it turned out, Nader didn’t get enough valid signatures to be on the Massachusetts ballot, but that is irrelevant to the point that Massachusetts is acting inconsistently.
On August 6, 2004, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin told the Boston Globe (p.B2) “We would find some way, if Nader were to be certified, to substitute Camejo’s name.”
Galvin further told Globe reporter Frank Phillips, his office “bends over backwards” to get candidates on the ballot.