Texas House Speaker wants to scrap straight-ticket voting

House Speaker Joe Straus is calling to end Texas’ system of straight-ticket voting, making him the only top Republican in the state to publicly endorse the idea.

Straus said Wednesday Texas should join 40 other states and do away with straight-ticket voting for all elections.

Straight ticket voting allows voters to choose a party instead of individual candidates. Straus says ending straight-ticket voting would encourage voters to learn more about candidates.

Straus filed legislation to eliminate straight-ticket voting in 2009 prior to becoming speaker but the measure didn’t pass.

Straus says that too often good officeholders are swept out of down-ballot races “due to the political winds at the moment.”