down-ballot

American

[dohn-bal-uht] / ˈdoʊnˌbæl ət /

Also down-ticket

adjective

relating to or noting a candidate or political contest that is relatively low-profile and local compared to one listed in a higher place on the ballot.

Very popular presidential nominees often cause down-ballot candidates to win.

Etymology

Origin of down-ballot

First recorded in 1980–85; down ¹ ( def. ) + ballot ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cuellar has suggested that he may run for re-election in the newly Republican-friendly 28th district in comments to Spectrum News, noting that although Trump did well there, Democrats also enjoyed some down-ballot success.

From Salon • Aug. 30, 2025

The attention today is on a handful of down-ballot races.

From New York Times • Mar. 19, 2024

“We continue to emphasize that that should not mean that they don’t vote at all. It is still important to make their voice heard by voting in the down-ballot races.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2024

And Super Tuesday will host some of the biggest down-ballot primaries of the cycle in five states, including Texas and California.

From Slate • Mar. 5, 2024

While much of the focus is on the presidential race, there are also important down-ballot contests.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023