Legal Definitions - scratching the ticket

Scratching the ticket refers to a voting practice where an individual, despite generally identifying with a particular political party, chooses not to vote for all candidates nominated by that party on a given ballot. Instead, they might select candidates from other parties or independent candidates for specific offices, thereby deviating from a straight party-line vote.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Local Election Deviation

  Sarah has been a registered Republican for her entire adult life and typically votes for all Republican candidates. In a local municipal election, she plans to vote for the Republican nominees for mayor, city council, and treasurer. However, she is particularly impressed by the Democratic candidate running for city council, who has a strong record of community engagement and specific, well-articulated plans for improving local infrastructure that resonate with Sarah. She decides to vote for the Democratic city council candidate while still casting her votes for the Republican candidates for mayor and treasurer.

  This illustrates "scratching the ticket" because Sarah, a consistent Republican voter, chose to vote for a candidate from an opposing party for one specific office, rather than adhering strictly to her party's full slate of nominees.

• Example 2: Gubernatorial Race Crossover

  David is a staunch supporter of the Progressive Party and usually votes for all candidates endorsed by his party. In a state gubernatorial election, the Progressive Party has nominated a candidate. However, David feels that an Independent candidate for governor has presented a much more compelling and comprehensive plan for economic development and environmental protection, which he believes is superior to his own party's nominee. He decides to vote for the Independent candidate for governor.

  David's action of voting for an Independent candidate over his own party's nominee for a major state office, while likely still supporting Progressive Party candidates for other positions, is a clear instance of "scratching the ticket."

• Example 3: Judicial Candidate Selection

  Maria is a registered Democrat and typically votes along party lines. In a state judicial election, where candidates' party affiliations are often known even if the race is technically non-partisan, her party has endorsed Judge Thompson. However, Maria has closely followed Judge Chen's career (a candidate known to be affiliated with the opposing party) for several years and believes Judge Chen possesses superior legal experience and a more balanced judicial temperament for the specific court. She votes for Judge Chen.

  Maria's decision to prioritize a candidate's individual qualifications over her party's endorsement in a judicial race, while still voting for Democratic candidates in other partisan contests on the same ballot, demonstrates "scratching the ticket."