Mar 2, 2017 | Straight-ticket Voting
Once again, Texas led all states in straight-party voting. No state’s voters came close to casting more straight-party votes than Texans, and no other state saw straight-party votes represent a greater share of all votes cast than Texas. Texans cast a record 5.6M...
Mar 1, 2017 | By the Numbers, Straight-ticket Voting
Forty Texas House districts saw one party’s candidate have at least a 20K-vote advantage in straight-party voting for the 2016 general election, up from 27 in 2012. Of the 40 seats, Republicans held the advantage in 27 seats, and Democrats held the advantage in 13. On...
Feb 13, 2017 | Legislation, Straight-ticket Voting
Rep. Ron Simmons (R-Carrollton) filed House Bill 25, which would eliminate the option of voting for every candidate of a given party by making a single mark on the ballot, known as straight-party or straight-ticket voting. It is identical to House Bill 433, also filed...
Feb 2, 2017 | Federal Race Analyses, Straight-ticket Voting
The federal Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted about three dozen districts across the country won by Hillary Clinton but electing a Republican representative, including Dallas Co.-based CD32. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Dallas) has been the only...
Feb 1, 2017 | Political Climate, Straight-ticket Voting
Speaker Joe Straus said the state should end straight-party voting. Prompted by Chief Justice Nathan Hecht’s State of the Judiciary address, Straus said, “Too often, good men and women are swept out of down-ballot offices due to the political winds at the moment.”...
Jan 31, 2017 | Federal Race Analyses, Straight-ticket Voting
The federal Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has set its sights on three Texas districts currently held by Republicans, including Harris Co.-based CD7, which has been represented by a Republican since 1967. Only the U.S. Senate seat occupied by John Cornyn...
Dec 22, 2016 | Straight-ticket Voting
We have been exploring shifts in straight-ticket voting in the state’s most populous counties, and in the state House districts therein, since the general election. For the most part, so far we have seen Democratic gains, particularly in districts won by Republican...
Dec 15, 2016 | Straight-ticket Voting
We have explored the shifts in straight-ticket voting in several of the state’s largest counties and found significant Democratic gains, particularly in Republican-held state House seats, with some exceptions, notably in districts held by African-American Democrats....
Dec 5, 2016 | Straight-ticket Voting
In two Williamson Co. state House districts, Democrats made gains in straight-ticket voting like those seen in urban county Republican-held districts. In the other, Republicans added to their advantage like many rural counties across the state. Rep. TonyDale Overall,...
Dec 4, 2016 | Straight-ticket Voting
Harris Co. voters cast a record 472K straight-ticket Democratic votes in the general election, up 16% from 2012, while the number of straight-ticket Republican votes fell slightly from 2012. Democrats cut into Republicans’ advantage in all 11 state House districts won...
Dec 1, 2016 | Straight-ticket Voting
Texas was one of 10 states where 2016 general election voters could choose every candidate of a preferred political party with a single pull, punch or other action. About 63% of all votes cast by Texans were straight-ticket votes, almost certainly the highest rate...
Nov 28, 2016 | Straight-ticket Voting
Nearly 40K more Travis Co. residents cast straight-ticket Democratic votes this year than in 2012, and Democrats pushed their advantage in straight-ticket voting to at least 14K in five of the six state House districts and at least 21K in three of them. Republicans...