Texans no longer have a straight-ticket voting option. How that affects Texas House races is unclear.
If Tuesdayโs election needed yet another element of uncertainty, the end of a straight-ticket voting option in Texas has certainly provided it. And in the 2016 general election, straight-ticket voting accounted for almost 64% of total votes cast in the stateโs 10 largest counties. In 2017, the Legislature voted to eliminate the straight-ticket voting option starting in 2020. The change comes at a time when the Legislature, specifically the Texas House, could see considerable change in its partisan makeup. โThatโs my fear.โWith straight-ticket voting no longer an option, itโs anyoneโs guess what will happen.