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Is there anything wrong with political party straight-ticket voting?

Ok... Say you are a registered (die-hard) Republican. You go to vote in the general election. You only choose to vote for other Republicans. Is this wrong? (and vice versa for Democrats.)

I think you learn a lot about a candidate by just their political affiliation. How many voters out there actually take time to research every single candidate to make an 'informed' decision about them (without any bias as to which political party they belong to)? Don't most Republicans just say "I'll vote for the Republican" and most Democrats say "I'll vote for the Democrat"?

You can vote for whoever you want to, but is it 'wrong' just to base your vote on the candidates' political parties?

8 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Not all Republicans are good; not all Democrats are evil. The problem is that most politicians line up together with their party on any given issue. So if you are a Republican, you should vote straight-ticket as your candidates will most likely vote the way other Republicans vote on issues.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Though I tend to vote primarily Republican I have never voted a straight ticket. There have been before and I am sure will be again Democrats that I believe do things the way I would like them done. Remember voting goes all the way down to your local government. I am sure some of our city council representatives are democrats and some are republicans though it is never mentioned not even on the ballots. I like this as you get people who actually think about the candidates and what they are saying. I will continue to base my vote on who I think is the best we can do for the job that they are running for it doesn't matter what party .

  • Mutt
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    I never vote based on a party. I have no affiliation to any party, and consider myself "leaning-right" (I lean right of center politically). I do vote mostly Republican (about 60%-70%), but also vote Democrat if I like that candidate better for whatever reason, and have even voted Independent and third party a few times (I admit, I voted for Jesse Ventura for Governor). I try to educate myself with the candidates, and if I don't know anything about them, I will skip that portion of the ballot.

    I also never vote for judges, because I don't believe in it. I believe judges should be as non-political as they can be, although there is some politics involved in becoming a judge. But once the become one, then politics should be thrown out.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Short answer yes. If you arent considering the actual positions and qualifications of each candidate that is wrong. However you certainly can look at all candidates and end up voting a straight party ticket. Also, one can say, I am tired of this current regime and want to vote them all out. Since for instance all branches of government are controlled by the same party, that voter will vote for the opposing party.

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  • 1 decade ago

    In some states you could only vote a straight ticket. Don't know if that's true any more.

    I never vote a party ticket. For one thing, there is so little difference between the two major parties, why use that as a reason?

    We'd probably all be better of if we refused to vote for either major party, and voted for the other people of various smaller parties.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I have been voting for 45 years - I am registered republican but have never voted a "straight" ticket - yes, I do know what each person stands for...it is my duty to myself to know this! Of course, what both parties say pre & post election are generally two different things! But in the big scheme of things I can't say it has made much difference.....as long as you vote nothing is right or wrong!

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I will say, No there is nothing wrong with voting a straight ticket. If you strongly believe in your party and the general direction it is taking, or will take, the community, then it is best to vote for those people so that they have the support structure they need to get the job done.

  • 5 years ago

    they are each and every flawed. activities are improper altogether, and our founders knew it. the extreme representation of this became into Madison's communicate of the ills of political factions in Federalist #10. Even Washington advice that they were a nasty theory. The impediment with activities is they take the region of reported determination. extremely than vote the subject concerns, human beings conveniently pick the party they assume is closest to their ideals. So, as i discussed, they are each and every incorrect. they are all evil, i don't care if there are a hundred distinctive activities, they shouldn't exist in any respect. They undermine democracy. it rather is approximately time we moved removed from all of this "my party is superb than yours" crap, and commenced vote casting the subject concerns. it rather is my trustworthy opinion. I even have been a registered voter for 10 years, and that i've got in no way been a member of a party. If basically others cared approximately their united states of america sufficient to undertake an identical philosophy, in all likelihood we'd circulate removed from the absurd inter-social amassing bickering and reasonably initiate engaged on the subject concerns that plague our as quickly as-magnificent republic.

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