NH: Straight-ticket voting off the ballot

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

This is an important story considering the sheer power of Gov. Lynch's coattails last year.  I fully agree with GOP Chair Cullen, who blames Jeb Bradley's loss on the straight-ticket lever.


Straight-ticket voting off the ballot
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Monday, Jul. 14, 2008

CONCORD – Both Republicans and Democrats contend New Hampshire's decision to end straight-ticket voting will benefit their party in November.

Those who pushed to end the practice said it had been confusing, with some voters selecting a box on the ballot that indicated they were voting for all candidates of one party, then voting for individual candidates from the other party. Democrats led the fight to end straight-ticket voting, though some credited it with helping them take control of the State House in the 2006 elections.

David Scannell, executive director of the state Democratic Party, said he believes the change will help Democrats in certain pockets of the state.

. . .

However, Fergus Cullen, chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party, argues the change will help Republicans regain ground lost two years ago. He believes straight-ticket voting led directly to Republican Jeb Bradley's loss in the 1st Congressional District to Democrat Carol Shea-Porter as well as the Democratic takeover of the state House of Representatives and the Executive Council.

. . .

[MORE]

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I'm just happy that they got rid of straight-ticket voting, regardless of partisan advantage. People should have to at least remember that a race for a particular office exists if they want to vote for it.

     I also agree with Cullen. Straight-ticket voting makes the outcome of the Governor's race too important, since a popular governor (like Lynch) can instantly earn thousands of votes for members of his party running in other seats.

[MarkWarner08]

Agreed. Bad news for Congresswoman Carol Hyphen.

[Joe Republic]

Agreed. Bad news for Congresswoman Carol Hypen.

Who?


I agree that straight-ticket voting must go, but I have to admit that I laughed at Cullen's brazenly partisan rationale.

[MarkWarner08]

Agreed. Bad news for Congresswoman Carol Hypen.

Who?


I agree that straight-ticket voting must go, but I have to admit that I laughed at Cullen's brazenly partisan rationale.

Well, this is an example of a typo ruining a joke. I meant to say Carol Hyphen.

[Joe Republic]

Agreed. Bad news for Congresswoman Carol Hypen.

Who?


I agree that straight-ticket voting must go, but I have to admit that I laughed at Cullen's brazenly partisan rationale.

Well, this is an example of a typo ruining a joke. I meant to say Carol Hyphen.

Every time I try and remember her actual name, I keep thinking it's Carol Moseley-Braun. 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Carol Moseley-Braun.

Daughter of Oswald Mosley and Eva Braun.

[Verily]

Carol Moseley-Braun.

Daughter of Oswald Mosley and Eva Braun.

Whole cemeteries just began spinning.

[Nutmeg]

Good for democracy.  Possibly not so good for Democrats.

It's pretty clear that straight-ticket voting swept a bunch of state reps. into office in 2006 (I think there was a thread here about some newly-elected Dems who had never even come to the state house since they weren't serious candidates), but not enough to account for the dozens and dozens of incumbent Republicans kicked out that year.  Straight-ticket voting might have padded the margins but was surely not responsible for the change in party control itself.

On the other hand, however, even if the automatic straight-ticket option is not there, many voters may still choose to vote straight-ticket.  I'd bet that a lot of that happened in 2006 anyway, with many voters defaulting Dem in the down-ballot races where they knew little about either candidate.

[Verily]

Good for democracy.  Possibly not so good for Democrats.

In the short term, maybe, but in the long term, who can say? It is entirely reasonable that New Hampshire will be reelecting an extremely popular Republican incumbent governor in 2014, for example.

[Lief 🗽]

Straight-ticket is horrible, and should be gotten rid of in every state. If you want to vote straight-ticket one party or another, you can check the box next to all the (D) or (R) names.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Straight-ticket is horrible, and should get gotten rid of in every state. If you want to vote straight-ticket one party or another, you can check the box next to all the (D) or (R) names.

     Indeed. I am proud to live in a state that doesn't use straight-ticket levers.

[Wiz in Wis]

Straight-ticket is horrible, and should be gotten rid of in every state. If you want to vote straight-ticket one party or another, you can check the box next to all the (D) or (R) names.

heaven forbid we simply allow for efficiency. If all I need to know is party, what rationale is there for checking 12 boxes over one?

[Хahar 🤔]

Straight-ticket is horrible, and should be gotten rid of in every state. If you want to vote straight-ticket one party or another, you can check the box next to all the (D) or (R) names.

heaven forbid we simply allow for efficiency. If all I need to know is party, what rationale is there for checking 12 boxes over one?

It basically allows a horrible incompetent running for an office to beat a highly qualified candidate just because his party's nominee for Governor won.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Or, in this particular case, elected people who literally had absolutely no desire to do the job in which they were elected to do and never even bothered showing up to the legislature.

It basically allows a horrible incompetent running for an office to beat a highly qualified candidate just because his party's nominee for Governor won.

[Alcon]

Straight-ticket voting is quite possibly the devil.

[Sam Spade]

Straight-ticket is horrible, and should be gotten rid of in every state. If you want to vote straight-ticket one party or another, you can check the box next to all the (D) or (R) names.

I know a fair number of white working-class Dems in Texas who have never voted Republican in their lives who would simply ignore the Presidential race this year but-for straight-party voting (so they can tell themselves they didn't vote for him), so enjoy it while you can.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Even I oppose straight ticket voting.  I'm more than willing to check the box next to each Republican name

[Keystone Phil]

Even I oppose straight ticket voting.  I'm more than willing to check the box next to each Republican name

Haha, that's my method. However, I've never voted for every Republican on the ballot. It very hard for me to do so and it's actually because I'm very involved. There are some things that I know about certain people that would prevent me from ever voting for them. I'm also not a partisan hack so I've actually voted for Democrats and have no problem doing so.

As for getting rid of straight ticket voting, I don't know if I agree with that. Then again, I don't have much of a problem if it's removed from ballots.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I support straight-ticket voting, but that's because we do it sensibly in South Carolina.  Here if you vote straight-ticket and then cast a vote in an individual race, it does not create a spoiled ballot as apparently was the case in New Hampshire.  Instead, the vote in the individual race counts and the straight-ticket is ignored.  (i.e., the straight-ticket choice counts only if you don't make a choice for an individual race.)

[Хahar 🤔]

I support straight-ticket voting, but that's because we do it sensibly in South Carolina.  Here if you vote straight-ticket and then cast a vote in an individual race, it does not create a spoiled ballot as apparently was the case in New Hampshire.  Instead, the vote in the individual race counts and the straight-ticket is ignored.  (i.e., the straight-ticket choice counts only if you don't make a choice for an individual race.)

Yes, that's much better.