Straight-ticket voting means choosing candidates from the same party across offices. Strong party identification makes it more likely because the party label summarizes policy and governing expectations. The behavior is distinct from a straight-party ballot device that lets a voter make one mark for several offices. Removing that device increases effort but does not prevent a voter from choosing the same party race by race.

Ticket behavior and institutional outcomes must be separated. One party can win the presidency while another controls Congress even if individuals vote straight tickets, because states and districts aggregate different electorates. Many people can also split their ballots while one party wins every office. Divided government is the result; a split ticket is an individual's combination of choices.

Aggregate returns provide limited evidence. If a county favors one party for president and another for Senate, some voters may have split, but different groups could have participated in the two contests. Survey records or matched ballot data provide stronger support. Neither pattern proves a stereotype. Straight-ticket voting can reflect a considered preference for a coherent program, while split-ticket voting can reflect candidate judgments rather than moderation. A ballot can also combine same-party choices in several offices with one cross-party choice, so the set of races being compared must be stated. Compare the same partisan offices, identify actual choices, and treat party identification, ballot design, and candidate evaluation as possible explanations rather than definitions.

Video lesson: Election Basics: Crash Course Government and Politics #36