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West Virginia Pushes to Remove Straight Ticket Ballot Option

West Virginia lawmakers have approved a push to remove the option for voters to cast straight party-line ballots by checking one box.

The Republican-led House of Delegates voted 87-13 to prohibit the practice earlier today.

Only Democrats opposed the bill.

The Senate cleared a similar proposal last month.

Currently, voters in the Mountain State can select every candidate from a single party simply by picking the straight-party option.

Last election, almost 71,000 voters cast straight-party Republican ballots, compared to about 53,200 Democratic ones.

Only 12 states allow straight-ticket voting now.

The bill is expected to head to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin soon.