The Briefing Room
State Chapters => Texas => Topic started by: Elderberry on September 01, 2019, 11:47:56 pm
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Texas Tribune by Ross Ramsey Aug. 30, 2019
Analysis: Dumping Texas voters’ favorite shortcut might hurt down-ballot candidates — and Democrats
Straight-ticket voting helped candidates down-ballot in 2018, and according to a new study, it helped Democrats, too. But that method of voting will go away in 2020.
The state’s decision to kill straight-ticket voting could cut turnout in down-ballot races in the 2020 elections — even if more voters show up to the polls.
Sure, those additional voters will cast ballots for president and U.S. Senate. But voter interest and knowledge gets thinner and thinner as the ballots go on and on.
Without straight-ticket voting — where voters register support for all of their parties’ candidates with a single vote — down-ballot candidates will have to win with the support of the relatively few voters who make it past the marquee contests.
Two-thirds of Texans voted straight ticket in 2018. In 2020, candidates for offices like constable and justice of the peace will need all the help they can get from friends and family; it won’t be enough to rely on the straight-ticket voters.
In particular, Democratic candidates depending on a growing base of voters may suffer, according to a study done by the Austin Community College Center for Public Policy and Political Studies.
“Most analyses of the election contend that straight-ticket voting helped the Democratic Party candidates in certain types of counties — metropolitan and some suburbs,†authors Stefan Haag and Peck Young wrote. “And we agree that the increased competitiveness of Democrats in many counties was abetted by straight-ticket voting.â€
More: https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/30/lost-texas-voters-shortcut-might-hurt-downballot-candidates-democrats/ (https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/30/lost-texas-voters-shortcut-might-hurt-downballot-candidates-democrats/)
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Straight-ticket voting should not be a voting machine option, IMO. If someone can't take the time to look at who they are voting for, they should not be voting at all.
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In the past in Texas, Republicans have been the most serious voters. It's been said all Republicans show up if the ballot is just for dogcatcher.
The problem for eliminating straight ticket, is, this is the way most voters have voted, they mark straight ticket and leave the voting booth. This change is going to confuse them. All offices down ticket are going to suffer because of this. The ballot is extremely long with presidential office, federal offices, state offices, county offices, and party or legislature resolutions on the ballot. Most voters are not going to spend that much time in the voting booth, especially this being the first time to do this.
Straight ticket has always been a choice - you could check straight ticket OR vote down the ballot for both Republicans and Democrats. I regret their taking straight ticket off the ballot.