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Texas: State Senator Seeks End to Straight-Ticket Voting

Sunday 04 January 2009

by:   |  The Associated Press

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Voters in DeSoto, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, can vote a straight party ticket. Efforts are being made to eliminate the option. (Photo: Getty Images)

    Austin - A San Antonio state senator wants to revive efforts to eliminate the straight-ticket voting option, even after Texans hit a 10-year high in the percentage of ballots sticking entirely with one party.

    Republican Sen. Jeff Wentworth plans a second run at deleting the straight-ticket option during the legislative session that starts Jan. 13. His repeal proposal didn't advance in 2007.

    "Both political parties need to stop being quite so partisan," Wentworth said in Sunday's editions of the Austin American-Statesman.

    Texas Democratic Party spokesman Hector Nieto said straight-ticket voting was "a good thing for both parties" and accused Republicans of trying to disrupt the inroads Democrats have made in urban counties, notably Harris and Dallas counties.

    "It's clear Republicans have seen Democrats organizing in a better manner and using straight-ticket voting to our advantage," Nieto said. "Instead of competing, they just want to do away with it."

    Wentworth said his proposal had nothing to do with giving either party an advantage. Rather, he said, Texas needs to join the majority of U.S. states in not allowing straight-ticket voting. Nationally, 16 states offer the option. Five states have repealed it since 1994.

    The straight-ticket option has been mentioned in Texas law since 1911.

    If a voter wants to favor every Republican or Democrat on a ballot, "that's fine with me," Wentworth said.

    "I'm not trying to tell them how to vote," he said. "I'm just saying they ought to be more informed by seeing the name."

    Wentworth acknowledged that his interest in the issue goes back three decades when he was running for Bexar County Commissioners Court. Despite working for support from black voters, he said he didn't draw much. He found out later that some who voted a straight ticket said they would have voted for him had they seen his name.

    The state GOP had no comment on Wentworth's proposal. Patrick Dixon, chairman of the Libertarian Party of Texas, said his party supports removing the straight-ticket choice.

    "It's not a monumental issue," Dixon said. "But the sense is when a lot of people vote, they check the party and don't go down the ballot and look at the candidates. We think people should value the candidates more than the party."

    Straight-ticket voting represented nearly 58 percent of votes cast in Texas in November, according to Austin Community College's Center for Public Policy and Political Studies. Voters going straight Republican outnumbered those on the Democratic side by 1.3 percent. That was the GOP's smallest straight-ticket edge since 1998, the center said.

  

Comments

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Our system of partisan

 Wed, 01/07/2009 - 05:09 — DJK (not verified)
Our system of partisan politics is part of what is ushering in the demise of America as it was defined in our Constitution. All voters who are required to specify party affiliation when registering should identify themselves as independents. They should then educate themselves regarding those running for political office and place their votes based on information they have regarding past history of the candidates and on where they really stand on the important issues, regardless of which political party they belong to. There needs to be more interest and discussion of political issues among the American populace to assist in this self-education process. Do not rely on the mainstream media for information upon which to base voting decisions - they cannot be trusted, and in fact are party to the problems we now face. Use the Internet, and refer to non-traditional and international media to inform yourselves. We, the American people, need to elect leadership that moves us away from the corruption that has become endemic within American politics and promote those who will fight to bring transparency and openness to our Government. This means no more lies to justify illegal military adventurism, no more legislation that promotes the goals and aims of those pushing for global corporatism at the expense of the American citizens, and no more legislation based on lies and fear mongering that curtail American freedoms.

i think the straight ticket

 Fri, 01/09/2009 - 03:19 — Anonymous (not verified)
i think the straight ticket vote is an advantage to voters and i would like to keep it. I am registered independent always have been and i follow politics and politicans very closely but you can not find out about most of the local politicians there is not enough information, but what i do know is i agree with the democratic party 80% of the time time on 90% of the issues. So it helps when i am not sure of the people running for local office which parties platform they represent.