Tuesday, September 3, 2019

From the Texas Tribune: Analysis: Dumping Texas voters’ favorite shortcut might hurt down-ballot candidates — and Democrats

For both 2305 and 2306.

- Click here for the article.

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.

- Straight ticket voting.
- Down ballot races.
- Roll off, or undervote.

Example: 2018 Texas General Election.