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Massachusetts Question 2, Party Candidate Nominating Conventions Initiative (1932)
| Massachusetts Question 2 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Primary election systems |
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| Status |
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| Type Indirect initiated state statute |
Origin |
Massachusetts Question 2 was on the ballot as an indirect initiated state statute in Massachusetts on November 8, 1932. It was approved.
A “yes” vote supported this ballot initiative to establish April party primaries to elect delegates to party conventions, members of ward and town committees, and district members of state committees, and allow party conventions to endorse candidates for statewide office, placing endorsed candidates directly on the primary ballot with a party endorsement label. |
A “no” vote opposed this ballot initiative to establish April party primaries to elect delegates to party conventions, members of ward and town committees, and district members of state committees, and allow party conventions to endorse candidates for statewide office, placing endorsed candidates directly on the primary ballot with a party endorsement label. |
Election results
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Massachusetts Question 2 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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553,822 | 67.81% | ||
| No | 262,948 | 32.19% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 2 was as follows:
| “ | Shall the proposed law, which provides an additional method of nominating candidates for nomination, at the state primaries in September, by members of political parties, for those offices to be led by all the voters of the Commonwealth at a state election. It provides that the state conventions the political parties. In each state election year, shall be held before and at after the state primaries, as now namely, not later than June 13. In order to elect delegates to such party conventions, party primaries are established to held on the last Tuesday in April. Among other things, these state conventions may endorse candidates for offices to be filled by all the voters and to be voted upon at the state primaries. Such endorsement places a candidate in nomination, at such state primaries, without the necessity of filing nomination papers the name of the endorsed candidate is to be placed first, on the ballot, and against his name is to be placed the words "Endorsed by (the name of political party) convention" In addition to me eight-word statement now authorized y law. Candidates endorsed by a party convention may accept said endorsement within ten days, and having so accepted any not withdraw. It also provides for the election of district members of state committees and members of ward and town committees if the proposed party primaries in April, well as delegates to the state party conventions, instead of at the state primaries in September, as now. It also provides for the election of delegates to national conventions (to nominate candidates for President) at e proposed party primaries instead of the primaries, now specially held for mat, purpose, and which existing law quires to be held on the last Tuesday April (the same day proposed for the opposed party primaries). It also provides for certain other new revisions of law and certain changes in existing laws, relating to holding state conventions and party, primaries, the number and election of delegates to state conventions, the number of members at large of a state committee, and other matters, which in more detail chiefly are follows: State conventions are to be composed solely of delegates elected at the party primaries, and the number is to be one from each ward and town and one additional for every fifteen hundred votes or major fraction thereof above the first fifteen hundred votes cast at the preceding state election In such ward or town for the political party candidate for Governor, Instead of a number now fixed by the state committee of each party (not less than one from each ward or town) and certain members designated by existing The time, for notice to the State Secretary by aldermen or selectmen of their determination to hold primaries by wards, precincts or groups of precincts to be March 1, instead of August 1, as now. The names of candidates for election for delegates to a state convention and for district members of a state committee to be arranged Individually by alphabet instead of in groups arranged by lot, as now. Vacancies in the office of delegate to a state or national convention not to be filled except in case of a tie vote and then by delegates from the same district, within ten days, and, if no other delegate or if not en filed, then by a state committee, rather than solely by the remaining members of the delegation and statement of filing of such vacancy to be filed with the State Secretary. Seating of delegates at state conventions to be in groups by senatorial districts, and order of business at said conventions defined. Voting on candidates, by a convention, to be by roll call. If more than one candidate for the office, or by groups of delegates unless any member of such group objects. The number of members at large of a state committee of a political party to he fixed by the state convention of a party Instead of by the state committee, as now. The existing provisions as to preparation and filing of nomination papers, objections to nominations, preparation, number, substance, arrangement and form of ballots, hours during which polls shall be open, opening of ballot boxes, canvas and return of votes, return and certification of votes, now applicable to state primaries to be applicable to the proposed party primaries. The power of a state committee to fix the number of district delegates to a national convention to be continued but the date, of giving notice to the State Secretary, of such fixation to be March Instead of on or before the third Wednesday in March, as now. The power of city and town committees to fix the number of members of ward and town committees to be continued, hut the date, of giving notice to the State Secretary, of such fixation to be March 1 instead of August 1, as now.
Which was approved in the Senate by a rote of 21 in the affirmative and 17 in the negative and was disapproved in the House of Representatives by a vote of 62 in the affirmative and 138 in the negative, Be approved? | ” |
Path to the ballot
Before 1952, citizen-initiated ballot measures in Massachusetts required a fixed number of signatures. In 1950, voters approved a constitutional amendment changing this to a percentage-based system, tying the number of required signatures to ballots cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. Before 1952, the signature requirement for indirect initiated state statutes was 20,000, with an additional 5,000 if the Legislature rejected the proposal and proponents wanted it placed on the ballot.
See also
External links
- William Francis Galvin Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, "Massachusetts Statewide Ballot Measures: 1919-Present"
- Springfield Union, "Legal Notice," October 29, 1932
Footnotes
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