Split Ticket Voting Essay ⋆ Political Science Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

Popularized with the implementation of the Australian ballot after the reforms adopted during the Progressive Era, split ticket voting is now a permanent feature of the American political system. Split ticket voting refers to the process of casting votes for more than one party for the different offices on the ballot. Since the 1950s, the prevalence of Americans deliberately splitting their votes in presidential and congressional elections has increased. Split ticket voting differs from straight party voting or straight line voting in which the electorate votes for candidates of the same party for all the offices on the ballot. Other than American’s splitting their vote for strategic reasons, several explanations provide possible justification for split ticket voting. The separate election of legislators and executives as well as the staggered terms that exist for different offices improve the chances that split ticket voting will occur. Also, the American executive and legislative branches are not incorporated into one body, as one finds in a parliamentary system. This allows voters the opportunity to vote for different parties for the various levels of government. The anonymity provided by the Australian ballot provides another possible explanation for the popularity of split ticket voting.

Bibliography:

Burden, Barry C., and David C. Kimball. Why Americans Split Their Tickets: Campaigns, Competition, and Divided Government. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2002.

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