I’ve often written about the effects of single-party politics in Massachusetts.

There’s a bill on Beacon Hill that would help remedy the problem. The idea is that when faced with a ballot with no good choices, you’d have the option of voting for “none of the above. If enough people choose it, a new election is held. It’s certainly an option that I would have taken in November (I even used the “none of the above” phrase!)

I think some people are hung up about what to do if “NOTA” wins the race. I think it’s a bit of a red herring. “None of the above” won’t be at the top of the ballot, but it will be a message. Candidates with high NOTA numbers will be more vulnerable in future elections and opposition campaigns will be able to demonstrate support before they even run. NOTA will make primaries more competitive, and maybe even encourage a few entrants from other parties for the general election.

While I like the idea, I predict that it won’t make it into law. The representatives in office now were elected by the current system. That succeed in the system. They have built their political machines and, history tells us, those machines will keep them in office as long as they want. These aren’t people interested in change. They’re interested in the status quo.

This reform, like so many others, is destined for defeat.