Slight changes in election rules are causing consternation among party leaders who fear loyal voters will be confused when casting ballots this fall. A new law says straight-party ballots – cast by 1.5 million Hoosiers in the last two elections – will no longer count in partisan races in which more than one candidate can be chosen. That affects at-large races common at the local level. Though seemingly minor, the change is a huge deal for local party leaders, who say it will confound voters. They also fear the erosion of a practice, dating to the 19th century, of voting for a slate of one party’s candidates with a single punch. Indiana is one of only eight states that still offer the option of straight-party voting. Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas are the others.
Some lawmakers want to jettison the choice altogether. In practical terms, party loyalists this fall can still punch once to vote for president, governor, U.S. Senate and some other state races. But they’ll have to manually select candidates running at-large for county council seats. In the next election, it will affect at-large city council races, as well.
Libertarians and other third-party candidates love the change. They say the system is rigged to favor the major parties, Democrat and Republican, and makes it hard for outsiders to even get on the ballot.
Full Article: Change to voting law worries major parties | Local News | tribstar.com.