They call it plunking— straight ticket voting.
The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, overturned a ruling by a federal judge in Detroit that would have struck down a law passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature to ban straight-ticket voting in Michigan.
U.S. District Judge Gershwin Drain said the ban on straight-ticket voting “presents a disproportionate burden on African Americans’ right to vote” due to the size of the black voting population and the use of straight-ticket voting.
The majority said Drain “likely committed clear error” when he found that the plaintiffs had shown that the Michigan Legislature “intentionally discriminated against African Americans” in passing the law.
An appeal is expected. It is unclear if the straight party option will appear on this year’s ballot.
