If you vote a straight party ticket, what happens in the races in which your party does not have a candidate?

In the primary race, No
In the actual election Yes

Just curious, but why would you vote a party line rather than look at each candidate and study their positions?

@Adirondackwannabe Most people know who they want to vote for before they get in the voting booth. If they want to vote party line, then it’s easier just to pull the big lever. As it happens, our new voting booths do not seem to have a big lever. It was a real pain.

@wundayatta I never voted a party line. Our ballots have to be filled in and scanned. They took away our big lever.

In the primaries states typically amke you choose which party you are going to vote for. Some states make you register a certain amount of days ahead of time for how you will vote in the primaries, some states let you choose at thetime you vote.

Aside from the primaries, like the vote we had yesterday for President and other local offices, I don’t vote straight part ticket, but if there is only one candidate and I don’t like him I don’t vote for that office at all, I leave it a no vote. You can vote for any candidate in any party in the general election.

why would you vote a party line rather than look at each candidate and study their positions?

I had a sixteen page ballot. I can see the temptation (but where I live the machines have no straight party option).

I don’t vote straight party line. If there is a Green party or Socialist to vote for, and it won’t cause a Republican to get elected, I vote for them. Otherwise, I hold my nose and vote for folks who are pretty conservative from my perspective. Lately, there haven’t been any Greens to vote for. Just asses and elephants.

I think it doesn’t cast a vote at all in those categories where your party doesn’t have a candidate. I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere. I never vote straight party, though, so I’m not positive.

No straight party option here, but if a particular election only has a candidate I don’t agree with, I leave the slot blank or write in some BS. Anything so I don’t show as a supporter for that person.

In my state if you vote straight party, then you have no vote in the fields where your party isn’t represented.

I always choose to vote for each seat.