split ticket

noun U.S. Politics.

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.

Compare straight ticket.

Origin of split ticket

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for split ticket

Contemporary Examples of split ticket

Split-ticket voting in general elections, the hallmark of so-called independents, is relatively rare.
Reality Check: There Are No Swing Voters
Goldie Taylor
November 13, 2014
But in our increasingly polarized political atmosphere, split-ticket voting is on the decline.
As Presidential Contest Tightens, State Races Could Prove Crucial
John Avlon
October 10, 2012

British Dictionary definitions for split ticket

split ticket

noun

See split (def. 9) See also straight ticket

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

split ticket in Culture

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.