You can choose the “straight party” option and still vote in individual races in Michigan elections.
If you fill out the straight ticket, or straight party, option, and fill out each race individually your ballot will still be valid. The choice under each race overrides the straight party option.
Voting straight ticket
Michigan voters can choose to vote straight ticket during a November general election.
For example, if a voter chooses to vote straight ticket for the Democratic party, all Democratic candidates in every partisan race on the ballot will be selected. The voter would not have to fill out the bubble for each individual race.
If the voter chooses to vote straight ticket for the Democratic party, and also fills in a bubble next to a preferred Democratic candidate, the vote for that candidate will only count once. The bubble next to the preferred candidate overrides the straight party choice.
Voters who choose to vote straight party will still need to fill in bubbles for the non-partisan races and proposals that are on the ballot.
Voting split ticket
If a voter chooses the straight ticket option, and then also selects individual candidates from different party on a certain race this is called voting a split ticket.
This means a voter could select the straight ticket option for the Republican party, and then override that choice for specific races by filling in the bubble for a candidate from the Democratic party. Doing this would override the Republican straight ticket selection for those specific races.
Voting mixed ticket
Voters can skip the straight ticket option altogether, and vote for each race individually. This is called voting a mixed ticket. Voters can fill in the bubble next to their preferred candidate for each race regardless of party affiliation.
Voters still need to select only the maximum number of candidates for each race. The ballot will list how many candidates should be chosen.
---> Explainer: Is ‘split ticket’ voting allowed in Michigan elections? How does it work?
Programming issue with Dominion Voter Assist Terminals
The Michigan Bureau of Elections has alerted voters to a programming issue with Dominion Voter Assist Terminals (VATs). This will not stop voters from using a VAT from marking their ballot, but it does mean those voters cannot vote a split ticket in the Nov. 5, 2024, General Election.
A VAT is a device that voters with disabilities and others, may use to help them mark their ballot. The voter then prints the ballot from the VAT and puts it through the tabulator. Every early voting site and polling place has at least one VAT.
Because of the programming issue, voters using Dominion ICX VATs will either have to vote straight ticket or vote mixed ticket. They will not be able to vote split ticket. Michigan does allow split ticket voting, but because of the programming issue if a voter splits their ticket they will receive an error message. The voter will then need to go back and de-select their straight party selection and vote for candidates in the races individually or vote straight party without splitting their ticket.
This issue only affects voters using VATs in counties that use Dominion voting equipment. A list of voting equipment by county is available online.
The Bureau of Elections said it is not possible to fix the programming for the affected VATs this close to the election.