be sure to tell Momma-an-nem (especially our youngsters)
This is a lengthy post, but worth the read. Emerge received the following e-mail this morning:
Just Passing this on... For those who normally vote "Straight Democratic", please pay close attention!!!!! I was informed this weekend by a group of Obama volunteers that when voting for the presidential candidate this November, you have to make sure you punch Barack's name first, then proceed to punch "Straight Democratic" or else the vote for the president won't count. I'm not sure if any of you are aware of this, but we know they won't tell us this at the poles. Please make sure you inform others.
This issue does warrant further investigation, soooo, here's what I was able to find out from the National Conference of State Legislatures http://www.ncsl.org/ .
Straight-Ticket Voting (STV)
Straight-ticket voting (also called straight-party voting) allows voters to choose a party’s entire slate of candidates. Voters make one punch or mark on the ballot in order to vote for every candidate of that party for each office on the ballot.
A total of 17 states presently offer straight-ticket voting (STV). With a few exceptions, the straight-ticket option is available in all elections, including primaries, and applies to all offices on the ticket, including federal, state and local races.
Straight-ticket voting (also called straight-party voting) allows voters to choose a party’s entire slate of candidates. Voters make one punch or mark on the ballot in order to vote for every candidate of that party for each office on the ballot.
A total of 17 states presently offer straight-ticket voting (STV). With a few exceptions, the straight-ticket option is available in all elections, including primaries, and applies to all offices on the ticket, including federal, state and local races.
The states with STV are: Alabama, Indiana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Michigan, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and New Mexico.
In New Jersey, straight-ticket voting is available only in primary elections. In North Carolina and Wisconsin, straight-ticket voting is available for all races except for presidential elections. In Rhode Island, straight-ticket voting is available only in general elections.
STV has been declining in popularity over the past decade. At least three states did away with it, and a fourth nearly did, during the 1990s.
Georgia – abolished STV in 1994. Some Democrats in Georgia advocate reinstating it on the basis of several studies that have shown losses for Democrats, particularly among African American voters, since it was abolished.
Illinois – abolished STV in 1997. It was a highly partisan battle in Illinois, with the Republican legislature and governor abolishing STV on the last day before the new legislature took office in January 1997. The argument eventually wound up in the Illinois Supreme Court, which in 1998 refused to reverse the decision to abolish STV.
Michigan – attempted to abolish STV in 2001 with the passage of SB 173. However, voters repealed the law in the 2002 election after the issue was petitioned on to the statewide ballot.
South Dakota – abolished STV in 1996. South Dakota’s action was bipartisan, with substantial majorities of both parties in the legislature approving the elimination of STV.
Missouri - abolished STV in 2006 as part of legislation mandating photo ID to vote.
STV has been declining in popularity over the past decade. At least three states did away with it, and a fourth nearly did, during the 1990s.
Georgia – abolished STV in 1994. Some Democrats in Georgia advocate reinstating it on the basis of several studies that have shown losses for Democrats, particularly among African American voters, since it was abolished.
Illinois – abolished STV in 1997. It was a highly partisan battle in Illinois, with the Republican legislature and governor abolishing STV on the last day before the new legislature took office in January 1997. The argument eventually wound up in the Illinois Supreme Court, which in 1998 refused to reverse the decision to abolish STV.
Michigan – attempted to abolish STV in 2001 with the passage of SB 173. However, voters repealed the law in the 2002 election after the issue was petitioned on to the statewide ballot.
South Dakota – abolished STV in 1996. South Dakota’s action was bipartisan, with substantial majorities of both parties in the legislature approving the elimination of STV.
Missouri - abolished STV in 2006 as part of legislation mandating photo ID to vote.
However, what the e-mail said is true, IN SOME STATES YOU DO HAVE TO PUNCH TWICE. The North Carolina Observer reports the following:
On North Carolina's ballot, the presidential contest is not included in the list of “Partisan Offices.” In order to cast a vote for president and a straight party vote, you need to make two marks – one in the presidential contest and the other in the straight party section. (And a straight-ticket vote does not cast a vote in judicial races, because those are nonpartisan.)
A state law passed in 1967 prohibits the combination of the vote for the president with any other office on the ballot. Why would a General Assembly controlled by Democrats in 1967 pass such a law? Straight party voting reduces the time it takes people to vote. It also means more votes are cast for offices lower on the ballot because people can simply register their vote for all partisan offices with one mark.
But for Southern Democrats in the 1960s, the specter of increasingly liberal candidates at the top of the ticket raised a problem. If the vote for president were included in the straight party option, Democrats who did not like the presidential nominee might be less inclined to vote straight party. The solution – separate the vote for president from the straight party vote.
Unfortunately, this ballot design introduces confusion. Some voters check the straight party option without realizing the need to vote separately in the presidential race. Election officials know that the straight party voting option is confusing. The North Carolina ballot for 2008 contains reminders that you need to vote separately for the office of president. Yet the ballot instructions are still hard to follow.
Because these ballots can be confusing, if you live in a state that has STV, it is worth your time to contact your local Election Commission Office to clarify what your ballot will look like.
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