Split and Straight-Ticket Voting

Voting for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot is known as split-ticket voting. Voting for candidates of only one party is called straight-ticket voting.

Except in a primary, where all the candidates are of the same party, the ballot types used in most states permit either split or straight-ticket voting. A few states, however, prohibit straight-ticket voting, and their ballots are designed accordingly.

The “party-column” ballot used in some states facilitates straight-ticket voting because each party's candidates for various offices are arranged vertically under the party label. Marking a single block or pulling a single lever on the voting machine casts votes for all of a party's candidates for all offices. The party-column ballot also encourages a coattails effect. A strong candidate at the top may draw a vote for the whole ticket.

The “office-group” ballot is more conducive to split-ticket voting. Candidates are identified by party, and their names are arranged alphabetically under the office being sought, requiring the voter to pick and choose individually.

Even though it takes more effort than straight-ticket voting, split-ticket voting is more prevalent than in the past. Reasons include a decline in party identification and increases in the number of independent voters and candidate-centered campaigns.