Final answer:
In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, only Puritans could vote for governor as only church members could be freemen and participate in governance. The General Court functioned as the legislative branch. The Puritans of Massachusetts Bay wanted to reform the Church of England, unlike their Pilgrim counterparts
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the Massachusetts Bay Colony's theocratic system, which was established following the principles outlined in the Massachusetts Bay Charter issued in March 1629, certain governance components and religious conditions held true. Only freemen, who were required to be church members, could participate in the government by voting or holding public office. This led to the condition where only Puritans could vote for governor.
The General Court in Puritan colonies was the legislative branch of the government, where laws and statutes for the colony were decided. This legislative body was initially comprised of Assistants and was later expanded to include representatives from the Massachusetts towns. The Puritan vision involved creating a government of the "elect," essentially applying religious criteria to civic participation.
Moreover, an important difference between the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay and the Pilgrims of Plymouth was that the former sought to reform the Church of England rather than completely separating from it, hence they did not share the separatist stance of the Plymouth Pilgrims.