split ticket

American

noun

U.S. Politics.

a ballot on which not all votes have been cast for candidates of the same party.
a ticket on which not all the candidates nominated by a party are members of the party.

split ticket British

noun

See split See also straight ticket

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

split ticket Cultural

A vote for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot, instead of for candidates of only one party. In the presidential elections, for example, a voter may choose a Republican candidate for president, but a Democratic candidate for senator. Split-ticket voting is not allowed in primaries (see closed primary, direct primary, open primary). The increasing occurrence of split-ticket voting reflects support of individual candidates rather than unswerving party loyalty.

split ticket Idioms

A ballot cast for candidates of more than one party, as in I'm registered as an Independent, and indeed I usually vote a split ticket. This idiom uses ticket in the sense of “a list of nominees for office,” a usage dating from the late 1700s. Also see straight ticket.

Etymology

Origin of split ticket

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She added, “If it is possible to dislike and admire a film in almost equal measure, then ‘First Blood’ would win on that split ticket.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2025

SZA, Swift, Miley Cyrus and next-gen pop superstars Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo could all justifiably swipe them both, but with so many heavyweight contenders in the field, it could be a split ticket.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 2, 2024

Studios split ticket sales with theaters, and Cameron told GQ magazine that "The Way of Water" will need to make $2 billion just to break even.

From Reuters • Dec. 12, 2022

I now vote a split ticket and during the past two Presidential elections, I voted for President Obama.

From Time • Jul. 31, 2013

He was first chosen to the Legislature in 1814, and was re�lected next year on a split ticket, which for a time clouded his prospects.

From The International Monthly, Vol. II, No. I December 1, 1850 by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023