[Dean's World] Shay: On Being A Split-Ticket Voter

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Shay:
On Being A Split-Ticket Voter
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1162566765.shtml


   Yesterday I took advantage of the last day of the early voting process
   in my home county (Cook County, Illinois) and trudged down to the main
   county office in downtown Chicago on my lunch break to cast my ballot.
   I like the process, as I can vote on my time and schedule.

   Back in March, I returned to vote in the Democratic primary, after
   having voted in the Republican Party in the previous two election
   cycles. I like to switch it up, and Illinois election law allows one
   to do so without having to re-register.

   Yesterday in the upcoming general election, in contested races I cast
   58% of my ballot for Republican candidates and 42% for Democratic
   ones. Interesting. I voted in the Republican primary in 2004 but in
   the 2004 general election, 56% of my ballot went to Democratic
   candidates and 44% for Republican ones. So in the past two election
   cycles, in the general election I lean toward the political party in
   whose primary I did not vote in just months beforehand. I guess that
   is an example of swing voting. I research the candidates and don't
   vote based on political party. The party breakdown that results is the
   breakdown that results.