News | LP of MA

The following are the proposed amendments to our bylaws and will be voted upon by the members at our upcoming convention on March 21st.

Proposed Amendment to Article III

Unified Libertarians of Massachusetts Bylaws

Amendment

Article III: State Convention

A regular State Convention shall be held in March every calendar year, and shall be organized by the State Committee.

The first sentence of Article III is hereby amended by striking the word “March” and inserting the word “October” in its place, so that it shall read as follows:

“A regular State Convention shall be held in October every calendar year, and shall be organized by the State Committee.”

Explanation

This amendment moves the annual State Convention from March to October beginning in 2027.

The Libertarian National Convention for 2028 has been scheduled for February 2028. Under our current bylaws, delegates to the National Convention are chosen at the State Convention held immediately prior to that National Convention. If our regular State Convention were to remain in March, it would occur after the February 2028 National Convention, making it impossible to select delegates in time.

Moving the regular State Convention to October ensures that:

Delegates to the National Convention are selected well in advance of the February 2028 National Convention.
The delegation has sufficient time to organize and fill any vacant delegate seats in accordance with the bylaws.
The Party avoids holding its annual convention during months with major holidays, such as November and December, which can negatively affect attendance and productivity.

If adopted at the March 2026 Convention, the March 2026 Convention will proceed as scheduled, and the next regular State Convention will be held in October 2027, with October serving as the annual convention month thereafter.

Proposed Amendment to Article III

Unified Libertarians of Massachusetts Bylaws

Amendment

Article III currently provides:

“The delegation nominated at the State Convention may by ¾ vote add delegates to empty seats for the national convention.”

This sentence is hereby stricken in its entirety and replaced with the following:

“The delegation elected at the State Convention may fill vacant delegate positions to the Libertarian Party National Convention by email ballot conducted by the Chair at any time after the delegation is elected and prior to the credentialing deadline established by the Libertarian National Committee, or any other delegate certification deadline established or published by the Libertarian Party or Libertarian National Committee.

For purposes of this section, the elected delegation shall act as the decision-making body for filling vacant delegate positions.

A vacancy shall exist whenever the number of seated delegates is fewer than the total number of delegate positions allocated to ULMA by the Libertarian National Committee for that national convention.

Alternates, if any, shall automatically be elevated to fill vacancies in the order in which they were elected and shall not require a vote of the delegation. The Secretary shall promptly notify any such alternate of their elevation, confirm the individual’s acceptance, and notify the Executive Committee by email.

Nominations to fill any remaining vacancies shall be submitted in writing to the Chair by any seated delegate. The Chair may accumulate nominations for up to seven (7) days before issuing the email ballot but shall issue the email ballot no later than seven (7) days after the first pending nomination is received, provided that the ballot concludes prior to the applicable national deadline described above. If the Chair fails to issue the email ballot required by this section within the time prescribed, the Secretary shall issue the email ballot.

All timely nominations shall be included on the ballot. A single ballot may include multiple nominees, and each nominee shall be voted upon individually. Any nominee receiving the affirmative vote of three-fourths (¾) of votes cast shall be elected, up to the number of vacant positions available, provided that at least a majority of the seated delegation casts a vote in the ballot. If more nominees receive the required vote than there are available positions, those receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall fill the vacancies.

The voting period shall remain open for seven (7) days. A ballot may conclude early only when the outcome is mathematically certain.

In the event of a tie among nominees at the cutoff for the final available position, the ballot shall remain open for the full seven (7) day period, and if the tie remains at the close of the ballot, the Chair shall conduct a run-off ballot limited to the tied nominees.

For the limited purpose of filling vacant delegate positions, the seated delegation shall have authority to determine eligibility notwithstanding Article X of these Bylaws.”

Explanation

This amendment clarifies the process for filling vacant Massachusetts delegate positions to the Libertarian Party National Convention after the State Convention.

Current bylaws allow the delegation to add delegates by a three-fourths (¾) vote but do not define a clear process for doing so. This amendment establishes a structured email ballot system administered by the Chair and ensures that any additional delegates are approved by a strong supermajority of the seated delegation.

The amendment restores full authority over this process to the elected delegation itself. Delegates are duly elected by the membership at the State Convention to represent Massachusetts at the Libertarian Party National Convention, and this amendment ensures that those representatives retain the authority to determine how their delegation is completed and organized.

The Libertarian Party has already moved the date of the Libertarian National Convention to February. If the separate bylaw amendment to move the ULMA State Convention from March to October is adopted, the timeframe between the State Convention and the national convention will increase significantly. Previously, this window was roughly March to May. Under the proposed convention schedule, the window will generally run from October to February. This extended timeframe allows delegates greater flexibility in determining their ability to attend the national convention and provides the delegation with the opportunity to add qualified individuals later if some delegates are initially uncertain about committing to travel so far in advance.

The amendment also ensures that alternates are elevated automatically before additional ballots occur and establishes clear procedures for nominations, ballot timing, and tie resolution. The authority to waive Article X eligibility requirements applies only for the limited purpose of filling vacant delegate seats so that Massachusetts can fully seat its delegation to the national convention when necessary. Nominees are still required to be a legal resident of Massachusetts and a member in good standing of the organization per Article III sec 7.

Key Points of the Amendment

• Clarifies the process for filling vacant Massachusetts delegate seats to the Libertarian Party National Convention.

• Establishes a structured email ballot process for the delegation to approve additional delegates.

• Requires a three-fourths (¾) supermajority to approve any additional delegates.

• Restores full authority to the delegates elected by the membership at the State Convention to determine how their delegation is completed.

• Automatically elevates alternates before additional ballots are conducted.

• Creates clear procedures for nominations, ballot timing, and tie resolution.

• Allows the delegation to waive Article X eligibility requirements only for the limited purpose of filling vacant delegate seats. Maintains Article III requirements.
To be eligible a person must be:

a. A legal resident of Massachusetts, and

b. A member in good standing of the organization.

• Reflects the Libertarian Party’s change of the National Convention to February.

• If the separate amendment moving the ULMA State Convention to October is adopted, the timeframe between conventions expands from roughly March–May to October–February, allowing more flexibility for delegates deciding whether they can attend.

• Ensures Massachusetts has a clear and reliable process to fully seat its national convention delegation when needed.

Our very own Thomas Eddlem recently appeared on The Scott Horton Show to talk about Trump’s intervention in Venezuela and discuss the actual problems with Maduro and the big-government “Chavismo” establishment there — as well as how every attempt by the US to intervene makes the situation worse for Venezuelans and Americans alike.

On September 16, 2025, LP members, allies, veterans, and the Senate sponsor for our Defend the Guard bills all provided testimony before the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. The hearing was covered by The Berkeley Beacon and is provided below.

Amid Trump administration actions, ‘Defend the Guard’ bill seeks to redefine federal deployment powers over the National Guard

A playlist of highlights is also available on our YouTube channel.

Defend the Guard testimony

Our former Chair and current Tech Director was also published by a number of outlets on the legislation, including in Massachusetts’ longest running daily newspaper, the Daily Hampshire Gazette.

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Massachusetts Peace Action

On April 26, 2025, Sean Kennedy was elected to the Bridgewater Town Council District 3 seat—see our press release below for more.

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We turned out in force for the “Take it Back” 2A rally on August 24, 2024, held on the Boston Common, a mere musket shot from the State House. For those interested in supporting the petition effort or to find out more, email Comms@lpofma.org.

At our 2024 State convention, we had the honor of hearing from noted economist and author Bob Murphy, who spoke at length on the collapsing U.S. empire, providing insight into such topics as modern monetary theory, the Federal Reserve, Bitcoin, gold, and what the future may look like for our economy and for the dollar as the world’s reserve currency.