Split Ticket
Critical Analysis
What portion of voters are planning to vote a split ticket in states with Senate races in 2020?
What the heck is the difference between straight-ticket voting (STV) and split-ticket voting?
Why do you think so few people are planning to vote a split-ticket in 2020?
Given the double digit lead Joe Biden has in recent national polling data, which party do you think is more worried about straight-ticket voting in the 2020 election?
Why is there no data about split-ticket voting in midterm elections, wise guy?
Explain whether you would ever vote a split-ticket.
Do all states allow straight ticket voting?*
in the 1990 presidential election, 63 percent of states with Senate races voted for the same candidate for president as for Senate. In 2014, 91 percent of states did. In 2016, that metric was 100 percent. Is this good or bad news?
What do you think is the main motivation of voters who vote a split ticket?
Explain whether you think Republicans or Democrats are more likely to split ticket vote.*
Based on his writing in Federalist No. 51, what claim would James Freaking Madison, author of the Constitution, and shortest president EVER, make about the value of voting a split ticket?
Based on his writing in Federalist No. 70, what claim would Alexander Hamilton, First Secretary of the Treasury and Ten Dollar Founding Father without a father, make about the value of voting a split ticket?
*Straight-ticket voting (also called straight-party voting) allows voters to choose a party’s entire slate of candidates with just a single ballot marking. Voters make one punch or mark on the ballot in order to vote for every candidate of that party for each office on the ballot.
Visual Extension*
Learning Extension
Check out these cool charts on split-ticket voting from WAPO.
Action Extension
Talk to people until you find someone who did (or would if they could) vote a split-ticket vote. Try to understand why they are splitting their ticket and share your conversation in class or online.