Split-ticket voting definition

Split-ticket voting, also called ticket splitting, is when a voter chooses candidates from more than one political party on the same ballot. In federal races, that means voting for one party's candidate for president and another party's candidate for the US Senate or the US House.

How do you vote a split ticket?

Voters make a separate choice for each office on the ballot, so they can pick a different party for each one.

In a presidential election year, the federal offices on a ballot are president and vice president, one US House seat, and, in some states, a US Senate seat. All 435 House seats are up every two years. Senators serve six-year terms, so a different third of the 100 Senate seats is on the ballot each time.

Can you split your ticket in a primary election?

Usually not. In most states, each voter gets one party's ballot and votes only among that party's candidates, so there’s no second party to split toward.

Some states use a “top-two” or “top-four” primary instead. Every voter gets one ballot with all candidates on it, regardless of party, so a voter can pick candidates from different parties. The two or four candidates with the most votes advance to the general election, even if they’re from the same party.

What is straight-ticket voting?

Straight-ticket voting is when a voter chooses every candidate on one ballot from the same political party.

A ballot may include a straight-party voting option, where a single mark selects all candidates on the ballot from the one party.