OTB44- Split ticket voting in pres. election years falls to lows not seen since the 1920s in '24 election| On the Ballot

On this episode: Split ticket voting—where voters cast ballots for candidates from different political parties—has declined dramatically since peaking in the 1980s, according to new analysis of over 100 years of election data. Mixed party outcomes, where states elect different parties for president and down-ballot races, reached historic highs in 1972 and 1984 when Nixon and Reagan won 49 states respectively, creating opportunities for split results. Today, these outcomes occur in single digits nationwide, with Nevada in 2024 serving as a rare example where Trump won the presidential vote while Democrats maintained control of the Senate seat and state legislature. The data, spanning from 1916 to 2024, shows that factors like well-funded incumbents, popular presidential candidates, redistricting, and reduced electoral competition all influence whether states produce mixed party results across different offices.

Categories: Politics & Civics

Starring: Norm Leahy