Mass. voters to decide whether to scrap party primaries
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Voters will soon decide whether to replace Democratic and Republican primaries with an all-party preliminary election where the top two finishers advance, regardless of party.
Why it matters: The change would upend political parties' grip on Massachusetts politics and make November elections a lot more important.
- Two candidates from the same party could face each other in November.
- In deep-blue districts, it could move the real contest from a low-turnout September primary to a higher-turnout general election.
Between the lines: Unenrolled voters in Massachusetts can already choose either party ballot.
- 68% of Mass. voters are unenrolled.
- The change before voters this year is about who advances, not who votes.
Question 3 would force all candidates for Congress, statewide office, the Legislature and most other state and county offices to share one primary ballot, likely decided in early September.
- Governor and lieutenant governor candidates would run as a ticket.
- Candidates would skip the 15% party convention threshold but would still need to gather signatures to get on the ballot.
The big picture: About 60% of legislative races this year have only a single candidate on the November ballot.
- Backers of the ballot question say the change would sharpen competition, but there are doubts among experts about whether the change would result in more contested races.
Behind the scenes: The "Yes" group is led by Harvard's Danielle Allen and has support from former Govs. Charlie Baker and Deval Patrick, as well as some NAACP New England affiliates.
- The "No" group includes the Democratic state party and leading elected officials like Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
Who stands to gain or lose depends on whom you ask.
- Supporters say voters outside the parties' most enthusiastic bases, and candidates without party backing, would gain some influence.
- Opponents say wealthy candidates and big donors would benefit disproportionately.
- Party control over nominations would likely decline, and third-party and independent candidates could have a trickier path to the November final.
State of play: A Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found that 46% of voters are for the change and 41% are against it.
- It's one of the most closely watched ballot fights this year.