2008 Woodie Awards
Straight ticket voting now harder for Missouri residents
By: Breanna Herschelman
Issue date: 11/2/06 Section: Opinion/Editorial
- Page 1 of 1
While visiting with my grandparents in Indiana during fall break, my grandma received her absentee voting ballot in the mail for the Nov. 7 election.
She told me she might vote straight-ticket this year as other family members had done in the past. This got me wondering - how many people still vote straight-ticket today?
Straight-ticket voting allows voters who identify themselves as Republican or Democrat to check only one box to vote for that party in every category. Lawmakers have fought to eradicate this option and have succeeded in all but 17 states. My home state of Indiana still has this option and up until early 2006, Missouri previously had the option as well. Now Missourians will be forced to check each box individually.
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan said the elimination would make lines longer at the polls this year, according to The Associated Press. This could potentially decrease the voter turnout in coming years if they feel too much of an inconvenience in not having the straight-ticket option.
I have never voted straight-ticket, but I do not want to take that right away from others. Though political scientists may believe getting rid of straight-ticket voting will help voters think about their ballot rather than aimlessly checking one box, it will definitely slow down lines at voting booths, causing people to take more time out of their day than expected.
In the 2004 election, nearly 39 percent of the votes in Missouri came from straight-ticket ballots, according to The Associated Press. It will be interesting to see how those who normally would have voted straight-ticket will vote this time.
Voters may not realize they do not have to vote for a candidate in every race in order for their ballot to count. For example, if a voter only wanted to vote for the Senate race, he or she would only have to fill in that box.
Some political scientists believe the elimination of straight-ticket voting will decrease the number of voters for candidates lower on the ballot. Local politics generally come after national and state candidates on a ballot, and voters might not be as aware of all the candidates in races such as the St. Louis School Board as they are for United States Senate.
Local politics often get pushed aside in election coverage as well, but these issues may be the ones St. Louis residents should watch more closely. While covering a Democratic rally for Senate hopeful Claire McCaskill earlier this semester, the party brought out many local candidates to give speeches.
This was a great way to help Democrat voters recognize the other people running in their party. It didn't hurt that former President Bill Clinton was there to motivate the Democrats as well.
Republicans have done the same thing within their party. Sen. Jim Talent has had the support of the Bush Administration, Missouri Sen. Kit Bond and other national and local politicians.
Overall, this issue will cause voters trouble Nov. 7. If a voter wants to vote for one party, they will have to check each box all the way down the ballot. The longer lines will no doubt upset voters.
Many voters may not even know the option of straight-ticket has been removed. This past year the media covered the issue of voter identification cards with so much more fervor, the issue of straight-ticket voting in Missouri was practically put on the back burner. If more than one-third of Missouri voters used this option in the past, they will probably be a little disappointed to see it won't be an option on this year's ballot.
Breanna Herschelman, a junior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Journal.
She told me she might vote straight-ticket this year as other family members had done in the past. This got me wondering - how many people still vote straight-ticket today?
Straight-ticket voting allows voters who identify themselves as Republican or Democrat to check only one box to vote for that party in every category. Lawmakers have fought to eradicate this option and have succeeded in all but 17 states. My home state of Indiana still has this option and up until early 2006, Missouri previously had the option as well. Now Missourians will be forced to check each box individually.
Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan said the elimination would make lines longer at the polls this year, according to The Associated Press. This could potentially decrease the voter turnout in coming years if they feel too much of an inconvenience in not having the straight-ticket option.
I have never voted straight-ticket, but I do not want to take that right away from others. Though political scientists may believe getting rid of straight-ticket voting will help voters think about their ballot rather than aimlessly checking one box, it will definitely slow down lines at voting booths, causing people to take more time out of their day than expected.
In the 2004 election, nearly 39 percent of the votes in Missouri came from straight-ticket ballots, according to The Associated Press. It will be interesting to see how those who normally would have voted straight-ticket will vote this time.
Voters may not realize they do not have to vote for a candidate in every race in order for their ballot to count. For example, if a voter only wanted to vote for the Senate race, he or she would only have to fill in that box.
Some political scientists believe the elimination of straight-ticket voting will decrease the number of voters for candidates lower on the ballot. Local politics generally come after national and state candidates on a ballot, and voters might not be as aware of all the candidates in races such as the St. Louis School Board as they are for United States Senate.
Local politics often get pushed aside in election coverage as well, but these issues may be the ones St. Louis residents should watch more closely. While covering a Democratic rally for Senate hopeful Claire McCaskill earlier this semester, the party brought out many local candidates to give speeches.
This was a great way to help Democrat voters recognize the other people running in their party. It didn't hurt that former President Bill Clinton was there to motivate the Democrats as well.
Republicans have done the same thing within their party. Sen. Jim Talent has had the support of the Bush Administration, Missouri Sen. Kit Bond and other national and local politicians.
Overall, this issue will cause voters trouble Nov. 7. If a voter wants to vote for one party, they will have to check each box all the way down the ballot. The longer lines will no doubt upset voters.
Many voters may not even know the option of straight-ticket has been removed. This past year the media covered the issue of voter identification cards with so much more fervor, the issue of straight-ticket voting in Missouri was practically put on the back burner. If more than one-third of Missouri voters used this option in the past, they will probably be a little disappointed to see it won't be an option on this year's ballot.
Breanna Herschelman, a junior journalism major, is a staff writer for The Journal.
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