Straight Ticket Voting Debated

Should Michigan ban straight ticket voting? That’s a question lawmakers have been dealing with.

Straight ticket voting allows voters to just draw one line on their ballot and vote for the candidates of one party.

Majority Republicans in Lansing say people should take the time to know the candidates and vote on their merit, so straight ticket voting should be banned.

Republican Marty Knollenberg says 40 states have already eliminated straight ticket voting and the national bipartisan trend is to get rid of the straight ticket checkoff box.

But Sarah Bydelek, clerk of the City of Walker, says it will cause delays at the polling place which already stands at 22 minutes on average.

The bill is in a House committee.