We are the Coalition for Healthy Democracy — Democrats, Republicans and independents

who believe that Massachusetts voters deserve real choices on Election Day.

The Coalition for Healthy Democracy is the ballot committee asking you to vote YES on Question 3 by November 3.

Right now, most Massachusetts elections are over and decided before the general election in November. Since 2014, 51% of all races in Massachusetts feature no opposition – one candidate who wins by default because there’s no other person to vote for. When politicians never face a serious challenger, they stop listening, they stop acting with urgency and they stop delivering results.

Question 3 changes that. In an All-Party Primary, every voter sees every candidate on one ballot, regardless of party – making elections inherently more competitive. Party conventions no longer decide which qualified statewide candidates make the ballot, and fresh new voices are allowed into the fold. The top two vote-getters go on to the November election, whatever their party — when more than twice as many people vote. More competition means politicians have to earn your vote instead of assuming it.

Why We’re Doing This

When politicians know they’ll never face a serious opponent, they stop listening. Housing costs, energy bills, schools — all the problems that hit your budget and family run through a Legislature where 98.8% of incumbents keep their seats, often unopposed. They win their races by default and never have to actually earn their position. This status quo is not meeting the needs of Massachusetts.

We think your representative should have to work for your vote.

Two-thirds of Massachusetts voters don’t belong to either party. Passing Question 3 means every voter sees every candidate on their primary election ballot, and every candidate faces every voter. Candidates are incentivized to communicate to everyone, not just a small slice of their constituency, and build broad coalitions. This is how cities and towns across Massachusetts already elect their mayors and municipal officials.

States that have similar primary structures elect younger, more racially and gender-diverse legislators with policy positions that better reflect their district. That’s what happens when we get more competition and more voters have a say in who wins.

How This Started

The Coalition for Healthy Democracy was founded by Danielle Allen, a democracy advocate and public policy scholar who believes that our democracy should work for everyone. Every voter deserves a real say — no matter their party, no matter their zip code.

In Danielle’s words:

“A few years ago, a service and community meeting at the Spring of Hope Church in Springfield gave me the insight and fire to begin a new journey of democracy renovation in Massachusetts.

The room was full of engaged, thoughtful people who were deeply invested in their community. They raised the issues on their minds — safety, schools, housing, asthma rates, and much more. But when I asked them if they’d be voting in their upcoming elections, their collective answer startled me. In the middle of an election year, many told me they didn’t see the point of voting because there was no choice on the ballot. Races with single incumbent candidates and no challengers dominated the ballot, leaving these incredibly engaged citizens to wonder why they should even show up in the primary. Voting for the lone default winners of uncompetitive races, they said, wasn’t a great use of their time.

And, of course, they were right.

So in 2023 I started the Coalition for Healthy Democracy. I borrowed against my retirement savings, plus what was left in my old campaign account, to start things. I asked some friends to match me and asked them to find more friends to help. And I spent a lot of nights on the phone. The people in that church were right: the ballot gave them no choice. I thought that was fixable.”

About Danielle: Danielle Allen is the convening chair of the Coalition for Healthy Democracy. A professor and scholar of democracy, she has spent her career on one idea: democracy belongs to all of us. She is the founder and chair of Partners In Democracy, Board chair of FairVote — the nation’s leading ranked choice voting organization — and the author of many books about democracy, including Our Declaration and Justice by Means of Democracy. In 2022, she ran for Massachusetts governor in the Democratic primary — and saw firsthand how few voters get a real choice. She lives in Cambridge.

“A democracy that only works for the people already on the inside is a gate, not a democracy.” — Danielle Allen

Read Danielle’s full story on starting the campaign.

Who’s With Us

This campaign is bigger than any one person or party.

Some political party insiders on both sides would rather keep things the way they are to maintain control. The people below want to give the choice back to voters.

Who Funds & Fuels This Campaign

Donors from all walks of life have joined us with small, medium and large contributions, which we are immensely grateful for. And more than 100,000 Massachusetts voters signed our petition to put Question 3 on the ballot because they know our political system is broken. Resources pay for our organizers to be out in the community, talking every single day with neighbors — more than 100 in-person community meetings (so far!), union-printed materials, interns paid fairly. As we move towards November, we will be using every dollar we raise to reach as many voters as possible. Every dollar we receive is reported to the state’s campaign finance office. Join our movement by making a contribution today!

What We’re For

Question 3 is simple: One ballot. Every candidate. Every Voter. The two advance.

No politician should win without earning our votes.

Vote YES on Question 3 on November 3rd.