- Split-ticket voting
Split-ticket voting can be used as a form of
tactical voting in countries (such as theUnited States ) dominated by two parties where a voter is not a wholehearted supporter of either party. It can also be used in countries (such asGermany ) which use a variety ofvoting systems . For example, a voter supporting a smaller party could vote for that party in an election held on theproportional representation system but vote for a larger party when an election is being held on afirst past the post basis.An example of split-ticket voting in the United States would be the 2004 elections in Montana, where Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Brian Schweitzer was elected governor 50.4% -46.0%, despite the fact that incumbent Republican president George W. Bush defeated Democrat John Kerry in the state 59%-39%. This suggests that a large number of people split their vote: voting for the Republican presidential candidate by a large margin but also voting in a Democratic governor.
See also:
Straight-ticket voting
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