split ticket

American  

noun

U.S. Politics.

1. a ballot on which not all votes have been cast for candidates of the same party.

2. a ticket on which not all the candidates nominated by a party are members of the party.

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split ticket British  

noun

1. See split See also straight ticket

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split ticket Cultural  

1. A vote for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot, instead of for candidates of only one party. In the presidential elections, for example, a voter may choose a Republican candidate for president, but a Democratic candidate for senator. Split-ticket voting is not allowed in primaries (see closed primary, direct primary, open primary). The increasing occurrence of split-ticket voting reflects support of individual candidates rather than unswerving party loyalty.

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split ticket Idioms  

1. A ballot cast for candidates of more than one party, as in I'm registered as an Independent, and indeed I usually vote a split ticket. This idiom uses ticket in the sense of “a list of nominees for office,” a usage dating from the late 1700s. Also see straight ticket.

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Etymology

Origin of split ticket

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

They split tickets and vote pragmatically based on lived economic realities.

From Los Angeles Times

She added, “If it is possible to dislike and admire a film in almost equal measure, then ‘First Blood’ would win on that split ticket.

From Los Angeles Times

Studios split ticket sales with theaters, and Cameron has said that "The Way of Water" will need to make $2 billion over its theatrical run just to break even.

From Reuters

Walker doesn’t need to get all the voters considering a split ticket, Robinson said.

From Los Angeles Times

All these split tickets reflect a broader political upheaval taking place in Puerto Rico after a rocky half-decade.

From Salon