Straight-ticket voting (STV) refers to the practice of selecting all candidates from one political party across every race on a ballot. Historically, many U.S. states offered a straight-party option: a single box or lever at the top of the ballot that automatically registered a vote for that party's nominees in every partisan contest, from president down to local offices. Voters could still split their ticket by overriding individual races, but the default mechanic encouraged party-line behavior.
The device dates to the 19th-century era of party-printed ballots, when parties distributed pre-marked tickets to supporters. After the adoption of the secret "Australian ballot" in the late 1800s, states preserved the convenience by adding a straight-party selector to government-printed ballots. At its peak, around twenty U.S. states offered the option.
Since the 1990s the trend has been toward elimination. Illinois dropped it in 1997, Michigan repealed it (with litigation ongoing for several cycles), and Texas ended straight-ticket voting beginning with the 2020 general election under legislation signed in 2017. By the 2020s only a handful of states — including Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, and South Carolina — retained some form of the option.
Political scientists debate STV's effects. Supporters argue it speeds up voting, reduces ballot roll-off in down-ballot races, and reflects coherent partisan preferences. Critics contend it disadvantages independent and nonpartisan candidates, encourages uninformed voting in judicial or local races, and can lengthen lines when removed (as observed in Texas's 2020 election) because voters spend more time on each contest.
STV is distinct from split-ticket voting, where a voter chooses candidates from different parties in different races. Rates of split-ticket voting in the United States have declined sharply since the 1980s as partisan polarization has increased, meaning many voters now produce a de facto straight ticket even without a one-punch option.
Example
In November 2018, Texas voters used the straight-ticket option for roughly two-thirds of ballots cast in major counties, the last cycle before the state eliminated it ahead of the 2020 election.
Frequently asked questions
As of the early 2020s, a small group including Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, and South Carolina retained some form of straight-party option; specifics vary and have changed through litigation and legislation.
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