Straight-ticket voting

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Straight-ticket voting or straight-party voting is the practice of voting for candidates of the same party for multiple positions. For example, if a member of the Democratic Party in the United States votes for every candidate from President, Senator, Representative, Governor, state legislators and those running for local government that is a Democrat, this is considered straight-ticket voting. In general, straight-ticket voting was a very common occurrence up until around the 1960s and 1970s. Since that time, straight-ticket voting has declined in the United States among the general voting population; however, strong partisans, that is strong party identifiers, have remained straight ticket voters.

In the early days of the parties, it was nearly impossible not to vote on a straight party line vote. Voters would receive a colored ballot with that party's nominees on it. A split ticket vote would require two different colored ballots, which confused the voter. Often, the voter would choose a specific party, and vote for everyone from that party. Some states have had an option to select "vote straight-ticket Democrat" and "vote straight-ticket Republican" that voters can check instead of voting for each race; states that do so include Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Straight-ticket voting in individual states

The straight-ticket voting option differs slightly from state to state.

Michigan

General-election ballots in Michigan have three sections:

• The partisan section, which includes candidates for partisan offices;
• The non-partisan section, which includes candidates for judgeships, municipal offices, and school boards; and
• The proposals section, which includes state and local ballot issues.

Voters in Michigan may vote a straight ticket, a split ticket (voting for individual candidates in individual offices), or a mixed-ticket vote. A mixed-ticket vote is cast when a voter chooses a party in the straight-ticket portion of the ballot, then votes for individual candidates for office. Votes for individual candidates for individual offices override a straight-ticket selection. For example, if a voter selects Party A under the straight-ticket portion, then proceeds to vote for the nominee of Party B for the United States Senate, a vote is counted for Party B's US Senate nominee while each of Party A's nominees for other offices in the partisan section each receive a vote in their races.

Straight-ticket voting only involves the partisan section of the ballot, meaning that if an individual wishes to vote in a non-partisan race, they must vote those offices individually. One area in which this issue receives attention is in races for the Michigan Supreme Court. The Democratic and Republican parties each nominate candidates for Justice of the Supreme Court at their party conventions 2-3 months before the election; however, the races appear on the ballot in the nonpartisan section, meaning that a straight-ticket vote for either of these parties will not include a vote for that party's candidates for Supreme Court.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, voting "straight party" (using the term from an NC ballot) does not include a vote for the President and Vice President of the United States. North Carolina voters therefore must make separate selections for the President/Vice President and the straight-party option .

This idiosyncrasy on the North Carolina ballot is described by some as "a ballot flaw" that may confuse voters, potentially resulting in voters failing to cast a vote for President and Vice President when doing so was their intent. It was introduced in the 1960s to shore up Democrats at the state level as Republicans were gaining strength at the national level.

In the 2000 presidential election, there was a 3.15% "undervote" ((total voter turnout - total votes for President and Vice President) / total voter turnout); in the 2004 presidential election, there was a 2.57% undervote. This means that in raw numbers, more than 92,000 North Carolina voters in the 2000 election turned out to vote but did not vote for president; similarly, in 2004, more than 75,000 North Carolina voters turned out to vote but not vote for president.

Texas

In Texas, a vote for a straight-party ticket casts votes for all party candidates in all races where the party is fielding a candidate and the voter is eligible to cast a vote, from the President/Vice President (or Governor) to the county constable or justice of the peace.

A voter, however, may vote a straight-party ticket and subsequently cast an individual vote in a particular race. This may happen in cases where 1) the voter's party did not field a candidate in a specific race, and the voter wants to cast a vote in that race for one of the candidates from another party, and/or 2) the voter does not wish to support the party's candidate in a specific race, but wishes to vote for another candidate in that race. (However, Texas does not have a "none of the above" option; in a case where a voter wishes not to vote for any candidate in a race where his/her party is fielding one, the voter must cast a vote in each individual race separately and cannot choose the straight-party option.) An individual vote will "override" the straight-party vote, but only in those specific races where an individual vote is cast.

Straight-party voting is only available in the general election for partisan elections. It is not available for:

• party primary elections
• non-partisan races (such as City Council or School Board elections); even if a "slate" of candidates is endorsed by a particular group (such as a local Chamber of Commerce) the "slate" cannot be elected on a single ticket, each candidate must be selected individually.
• ballot issues (such as an amendment to the Texas Constitution or a measure to approve bonds and assess taxes for their repayment), even if a political party officially endorses or opposes such an amendment.

In those cases where a partisan election is combined with a non-partisan election and/or ballot issues, the voter can vote straight-party in the partisan portion, but then must vote individually in the other portion(s).

West Virginia

In West Virginia, voting "straight party" includes a vote for all candidates of the party voters have selected, including the President and Vice President of the United States. Non-partisan candidates must be voted separately.

See also

• Split-ticket voting
• Coattail effect