split ticket
- a ballot on which not all votes have been cast for candidates of the same party.
- a ticket on which not all the candidates nominated by a party are members of the party.
Origin of split ticket
Examples from the Web for split ticket
Contemporary Examples
Split-ticket voting in general elections, the hallmark of so-called independents, is relatively rare.
But in our increasingly polarized political atmosphere, split-ticket voting is on the decline.
split ticket
- See split (def. 9) See also straight ticket
split ticket
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.
Idioms and Phrases with split ticket
split ticket
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.