County clerk explains straight-ticket voting

Here’s an election-related bit of information from St. Joseph County Clerk Lindsay Oswald. She said there have been a number of inquiries about straight-ticket votes in advance of the Nov. 3 general election.

She said in straight-ticket voting, voters may vote in the straight-party race and select the party of their choosing – this will award votes up to the maximum allowed for each partisan race for the voter’s chosen party. If the voter wishes to vote in any non-partisan races and proposals, the voter must make selections in these races separately.

Split-ticket voting occurs when voters vote in the straight party race and select the party of their choosing, but then vote directly in an individual race, or multiple individual races by directly voting for a candidate from a different party, voting for a candidate with no party affiliation, or casting a write-in vote.

In a mixed-ticket, voters may decline to vote in the straight-party race and directly select candidates of their choice from any party – or no party affiliation and write-ins – up to the maximum allowed for each race.

The main takeaway, Oswald said, is votes for individual candidates override straight-party voting options.