Straight-ticket devices have been repealed, or are likely to be eliminated, in three states this year. On May 25, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed AB 7, an omnibus election law bill that eliminates the device. On June 8, the North Carolina Senate passed SB 411 by a vote of 30-17; that bill repeals the device. And, the current New Mexico Secretary of State, Diana Duran, has let it be known that she will eliminate the device from the 2012 general election ballot. New Mexico’s eletion laws do not authorize the device, but past Secretaries of State have placed it on general election ballots anyway.
Straight-ticket devices injure independent candidates, and they also injure minor party candidates for lower-ticket offices such as state legislature and partisan county office. Ben Manski, Green Party nominee for the Wisconsin legislature last year, actually won his election when one only looks at ballots in which voters did not use the straight-ticket device. But when the ballots of voters who did use it are included, he lost.
Assuming the North Carolina bill is signed into law, in 2012 the only states that will still use straight-ticket devices are: Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. States that have repealed the device in the last 15 years (in addition to the states already mentioned) include Illinois and Missouri. Bills to repeal the device have been introduced repeatedly in Oklahoma, Texas, and West Virginia, but they never pass.
What is the NONVOTES percentages for the lower party hack robot offices in States NOT having the straight ticket stuff — compared to States having the S.T. stuff ???
I SEE NOTHING WRONG WITH STRAIGHT TICKET VOTING.I WANT TO KEEP AN OPEN MIND WHAT SAY YOU RICHARD?
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In West Virginia, straight ticket voting is accompanied by a “device” which is election law jargon for a symbol. One would think that the Democrat’s “device” would be the Nast donkey and likewise for the Republican’s with an elephant. But no. The Dems here use a rooster and the ‘Pubs use the splayed federal eagle. Since both are birds, the Dems slogan for the illiterates is “pull the rooster tail.”
The straight ticket “device” is only applicable when a party has two or more candidates on the ballot in the county. So, with minor parties, the goal is to get at least two statewide candidates to have this in all counties, or one statewide and then the local candidates will make it two for their county to apply.
As someone who lives and votes in NC, I’m glad to see straight-ticket voting end. In 2008 there was some confusion that the straight-ticket device and the presidential race were separate votes (to address this, Democrats in Durham made a video called the “Obama straight flip”, advising folks to vote for Obama, vote straight Democrat, and then vote for judges, who are non-partisian). Hopefully the abolition of straight-ticket voting will end this.
Michigan repealed straight ticket voting something like fifteen years ago under Governor John Engler, but then it was somehow brought back. I forget the details – will let Richard explain. Yep, WV House Bill 2300 to abolish straight ticket voting died in committee this year: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2011_SESSIONS/RS/Bills/hb2300%20intr.htm
#6, the legislature repealed it, but then the Michigan Democratic Party successfully completed a referendum petition, so Michigan voters were then asked to vote on the repeal. Unfortunately the voters voted to retain the device. The ballot question about the device was combined with some other election law matters.
All sorts of functional ILLITERATE folks in the U.S.A. — barely able to read ANYTHING — due of course to the rotted public schools who promote kids to the next grade — to be politically/socially correct.
See the symbol/candidate picture ballots in all sorts of foreign nations.
RI has the straight party device as well.
For many years now bills have gone in to get rid of what we lovingly call the ‘master lever’ – to no avail.
OK FOLKS WHAT IS WRONG WITH STRAIGHT TICKET VOTING?
#10, read the paragraph in the post about Ben Manski. #9, thank you, I will fix the post.
Clara –
Straight party voting permits lazy voting. Voters do not consider individual candidates – they only look at party affiliation, which is a poor indication of how a politician will vote on the issues.
Straight party voting harms non-partisan, down ticket races.
In my state, neither political party has a state-based platform. How can a voter determine that a ‘party’ can solve his or her problems when the party does not define what it is about?
Parties don’t solve problems. In today’s society, parties seem to drive ideology since most activists within the parties are at the extreme edges of the party.
Voters should vote for individuals who campaign for specific office and define their individual stance on the issues.
Straight ticket voting does not encourage smart voting.
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Richard:
As far as you know, which states have NEVER used
the straight-ticket device for their elections?
A majority of states have never used it.