AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Republicans are banking on a ballot-box shortcut to ride out any momentum from a re-energized Democratic Party this November.
- Austin among eight states that still provide straight-ticket voting option
- Straight-ticket voting option will no longer be provided beginning next year
- Republicans largely county on straight-tickets voters
The state is one of eight that still has an option for straight-ticket voting. That means with one click of a button you can vote for a single party's candidates in every race.
It's the last election where Texans will be able to do it, and some are sorry to see the convenient feature go.
"They just want to get out there and say they voted, get in and get it done, because they think it's such a tedious process," said one voter.
And it's those voters that Peck Young with the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies at Austin Community College says Republicans are counting on in November. Democrats are gaining momentum, even pulling voters across the aisle.
Young says straight-ticket voters are the cornerstone of the Republican strategy.
"Republicans know that the swing voters are not critical to them. They've got to turn out every single solitary straight-ticket Republican. And if they get all those people to the polls, and get an overwhelming majority, say 56-60 percent of those who vote straight ticket, they're elected," Young said.
And that's exactly what they've done for nearly two decades.
In 2014, nearly 60 percent of Texas Republican voters voted straight ticket, compared to just over 40 percent of Democrats. That percentage increased by 8 percent in 2016 for democrats.
Young says any blue wave could put pressure on those numbers, although he's not convinced it will be strong enough to wash out Texas' red tide.
"Most voters vote their family's history, their prejudices, their allegiance to parties. It's a brand vote," Young said.
And he believes straight-party voting will continue long after November. It just won't be with a single push of a button.