Vermont’s Progressive Party may not be able to maintain its major party status for the 2011-12 biennium. State election law defines a “major political party” as one that has a local committee in at least 15 towns or cities, and has received at least 5 percent of the vote for one of the six statewide offices.
Major parties are allowed to nominate their candidates through primary elections. Several media organizations, such as Vermont Public Radio, also use major party status as the criterion for deciding which candidates to invite to participate in broadcast debates.
