# Split-ticket voting explained

> Voting for candidates from different parties on the same ballot.
- Title: Split-ticket voting explained · USAFacts | Shortify
- Summary: Voting for candidates from different parties on the same ballot. Split-ticket voting lets voters choose candidates from multiple parties on a single ballot…
- Keywords: split-ticket voting, presidential election, us house, us senate, primary election, straight-ticket voting, news, politics, money, Split-ticket, voting, explained
- Source: USAFacts — https://usafacts.org/articles/split-ticket-voting-definition
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: split-ticket voting, presidential election, us house, us senate, primary election, straight-ticket voting, news, politics, money
## Split-ticket voting definition
Split-ticket voting means voting for candidates from different parties on the same ballot, such as for president and Congress.
## How split-ticket voting works
Voters choose candidates from more than one political party on the same ballot for federal races, including one party's presidential candidate and another party's US Senate or US House candidate.
## Split-ticket voting in presidential elections
In presidential election years, federal offices on a ballot include president, vice president, one US House seat, and sometimes a US Senate seat.
## Can you split your ticket in a primary?
Usually not, as most states give voters one party's ballot with only that party's candidates to choose from in primary elections.
## Top-two primary systems
Some states use top-two or top-four primaries where voters select candidates from different parties on a single ballot for the general election.
## Straight-ticket voting alternative
Straight-ticket voting lets voters choose all candidates from the same party on one ballot, often with a single mark for that party.
## Key takeaway

Split-ticket voting lets voters choose candidates from multiple parties on a single ballot for federal offices.