For the first time, the Party for Socialism and Liberation is attempting to get on a statewide ballot in a midterm year. It has candidates for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts and Ohio. The Massachusetts candidate, Joe Tache, needs 10,000 signatures and will probably be the only choice on the ballot other than the two major parties, assuming he gets on the ballot.

The Ohio candidate, Greg Levy, needs 5,000 signatures. There will be no party label on the ballot next to his name, assuming he gets on the ballot. Ohio law lets independent candidates choose “no party” or “other party”, but won’t allow an actual party label. An independent candidate is also free to have no label whatsoever, and most petitioning candidates in Ohio choose the option of no label.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation in the past has not tried to get on ballots in midterm years.