AUGUSTA, Maine — The centrist group No Labels won party status in Maine ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ office announced Friday.
No Labels is trying to morph from an advocacy group into a national third party. That would give it the option of putting up an alternative to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump if they emerge from this year’s Democratic and Republican primaries, although No Labels has not begun floating specific names yet.
On Friday, the secretary of state’s office said No Labels had just over 9,400 enrolled voters, well over the 5,000 required to form a party. It will be allowed to run candidates for president, state, congressional and other offices in 2024.
Maine has had a unique view of No Labels’ activity due to its feud with Bellows. In May, the Democratic secretary of state sent a cease-and-desist letter to No Labels after receiving complaints that people who enrolled in the new party thought they simply signed a petition. She also mailed notices to thousands of new members making sure they want to enroll.
No Labels sharply denied misleading voters, later taking the rare step of running digital ads targeted to Mainers in which former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, the group’s founding chairman, hit “partisan Maine officials” for suppressing its activities.
The party had ballot access in 12 states as of November with plans to qualify in 16 others. No Labels has drawn suspicion from Democrats who suspect a third candidate could tip things toward Trump, even though some polling has cast doubt on the effect one would have.
People enrolled in the new party will not be able to participate in the Republican or Democratic primaries, which will be “semi-open” for the first time in state history. Under that law, unenrolled voters can choose to vote in one party’s primary. Those looking to switch parties to vote in a primary must do so 15 days before the election.
Maine’s presidential primaries are on March 5, which is known as Super Tuesday. It is one of the most important days on the election calendar because 16 states vote then. The primaries for state, congressional and other offices will be on June 11.
No Labels is the fifth political party in Maine after the two major ones as well as Green Independents and Libertarians. Two other parties that had been enrolling voters here, the Forward Party and the People’s Party, did not submit documents required to win ballot access.