MA Presidential Ballot Access
Massachusetts Presidential Ballot Access Requirements
State-level general-election presidential ballot access requirements for Massachusetts, including party nomination, petition access, and write-in rules where available in the NASS summary.
Party Nomination
Political Party Nomination
A presidential candidate nominated by a political party may be placed on the general election ballot. Each political party must certify to the secretary of state no later than the second Tuesday of September the names of the candidates for president and vice-president and the names of the presidential electors. A political party is any party whose candidate for any statewide office at the last general election received at least 3% of the vote cast for that office, or, a party with a number of enrolled voters equal to or greater than 1% of the entire voters registered in the state.
Petition Access
Petition / Independent Candidate Access
A presidential candidate not running as the candidate of a political party may obtain ballot access by submitting to the secretary of state no later than the second Tuesday of September nomination papers containing the signatures of at least 10,000 voters. The nomination papers must include the names of the candidates for president and vice-president and the names of the presidential electors.
Write-In
Write-In Rules
A write-in candidate for president must file the name of the candidate for president and the names of the candidates for presidential electors with the secretary of state no later than 60 days prior to the election.
Legal Citations
Source Citations
- Mass. Gen. Laws §§ 50-1, 53-1, 53-6, 53-8, 53-10, 54-78A
Source and Use
How to Read This Ballot Access Data
This reference is generated from NASS Summary: State Laws Regarding Presidential Ballot Access for the General Election.
- Primary source
- NASS ballot access summary PDF
- Coverage
- General-election presidential ballot access requirements by state, as summarized by NASS.
- Use note
- Informational reference only; verify current law with the state election office, current statutes, and legal counsel.
- These entries summarize general-election presidential ballot access rules for political party nominees, petition candidates, fee access where listed, and write-in candidacies.
- Ballot access law can change through statutes, court decisions, and state election guidance. Verify requirements with the state election office before relying on them.
- This reference does not state whether any candidate has qualified for a state ballot.
- This page is informational and is not legal advice or a filing procedure guide.