Mixed-party election outcomes in presidential election years, 1916-2024
When there are multiple offices on the ballot, voters can choose candidates from different political parties for the various offices. This practice is known as split-ticket voting, and it can lead to a mixed-party election outcome, or a situation where a state elects a governor of one party and a U.S. senator of another party, or gives its electoral votes to the candidate of one political party while electing a state legislative majority of another party. Ballotpedia has previously published analysis of split-ticket voting in the 2024 elections at both the gubernatorial and statewide election levels.
For the purposes of this analysis, we defined a mixed-party election outcomes as one where the candidate of one party won the state’s presidential electoral votes while candidates of another party won a U.S. Senate seat, a majority of the state's U.S. House delegation, or a state legislative majority on the same ballot.[1] These outcomes have trended down since high-water marks in the 1980s. These outcomes nearly halved by the 1990s before falling into the single digits in the three presidential elections from 2016-2024. In their 2002 book Why Americans Split Their Tickets: Campaigns, Competition, and Divided Government, professors Barry Burden and David Kimball argued that two factors primarily drove split-ticket voting: lack of competition and well-funded incumbents in congressional elections and popular presidential candidates.[2]
From 1916 to 2024, 25.3% (1,179 of 4,651) of all possible mixed-party election outcomes occurred. The years with the most mixed-party election outcomes were 1984 (97 out of 166 possible, or 58.4%) and 1972 (86 out of 166, or 51.8%). Each of those years was one in which a presidential candidate won 49 states. The years with the mixed-party election outcomes was 1920, with seven out of a possible 163 (4.3%). Tied for second-fewest with nine were 2016 (nine out of 170 possible, or 5.3%) and 2024 (nine out of 168 possible, or 5.4%).
Oklahoma (43) led all states with the highest number of mixed-party election outcomes across this span, followed by Florida (42) and Tennessee (40). The states with the fewest number of mixed-party election outcomes were Nebraska and Hawaii, with six each. Nebraska, with only one legislative chamber, has fewer total opportunities for mixed-party election outcomes, while Hawaii became a state in 1959. The state with the fewest mixed-party election outcomes with two legislative chambers and statehood for the course of this analysis was Utah, with seven.
On this page, you will find:
- Cumulative figures by year and office type
- Cumulative figures by state
- A look at mixed-party election outcomes in the 2024 elections
By year and office type
The chart and table below detail the number of mixed-party election outcomes in each presidential election year from 1916 to 2024. A bigger shaded area indicates more mixed-party election outcomes of that particular office type.
| Year | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | State Senate | State House | Total | Possible | % Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 168 | 5.4% |
| 2020 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 167 | 9.0% |
| 2016 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 170 | 5.3% |
| 2012 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 168 | 16.7% |
| 2008 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 167 | 15.6% |
| 2004 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 43 | 168 | 25.6% |
| 2000 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 19 | 51 | 169 | 30.2% |
| 1996 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 52 | 168 | 31.0% |
| 1992 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 51 | 169 | 30.2% |
| 1988 | 17 | 25 | 20 | 22 | 84 | 167 | 50.3% |
| 1984 | 17 | 28 | 24 | 28 | 97 | 166 | 58.4% |
| 1980 | 13 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 75 | 167 | 44.9% |
| 1976 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 56 | 165 | 33.9% |
| 1972 | 17 | 26 | 19 | 24 | 86 | 166 | 51.8% |
| 1968 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 49 | 165 | 29.7% |
| 1964 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 44 | 169 | 26.0% |
| 1960 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 52 | 167 | 31.1% |
| 1956 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 56 | 164 | 34.1% |
| 1952 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 33 | 164 | 20.1% |
| 1948 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 29 | 155 | 18.7% |
| 1944 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 14 | 42 | 165 | 25.5% |
| 1940 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 10 | 39 | 166 | 23.5% |
| 1936 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 7 | 27 | 164 | 16.5% |
| 1932 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 35 | 166 | 21.1% |
| 1928 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 40 | 168 | 23.8% |
| 1924 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 166 | 8.4% |
| 1920 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 163 | 4.3% |
| 1916 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 30 | 164 | 18.3% |
| Totals | 234 | 308 | 319 | 318 | 1,179 | 4,651 | 25.3% |
By state
The map and collapsed table below diplay the total number of mixed-party election outcomes in state from 1916 to 2024. Mouse over a state to see the total number of mixed-party election outcomes over that timeframe.
| State | Split-ticket scenarios |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 8 |
| Alaska | 14 |
| Arizona | 31 |
| Arkansas | 26 |
| California | 33 |
| Colorado | 24 |
| Connecticut | 18 |
| Delaware | 35 |
| Florida | 42 |
| Georgia | 25 |
| Hawaii | 6 |
| Idaho | 12 |
| Illinois | 27 |
| Indiana | 14 |
| Iowa | 22 |
| Kansas | 12 |
| Kentucky | 21 |
| Louisiana | 17 |
| Maine | 18 |
| Maryland | 9 |
| Massachusetts | 30 |
| Michigan | 27 |
| Minnesota | 23 |
| Mississippi | 10 |
| Missouri | 31 |
| Montana | 28 |
| Nebraska | 6 |
| Nevada | 38 |
| New Hampshire | 35 |
| New Jersey | 24 |
| New Mexico | 27 |
| New York | 27 |
| North Carolina | 27 |
| North Dakota | 29 |
| Ohio | 22 |
| Oklahoma | 43 |
| Oregon | 39 |
| Pennsylvania | 34 |
| Rhode Island | 26 |
| South Carolina | 22 |
| South Dakota | 17 |
| Tennessee | 40 |
| Texas | 31 |
| Utah | 7 |
| Vermont | 11 |
| Virginia | 13 |
| Washington | 30 |
| West Virginia | 26 |
| Wisconsin | 29 |
| Wyoming | 13 |
Most recent election (2024)
The table below displays the results of the 2024 presidential election in each state and whether or not there were mixed-party election outcomes in that state. Nine mixed-party election outcomes occurred across five states during the 2024 elections: Nevada (four), New Hampshire (two), Arizona (one), Michigan (one), and Wisconsin (one). The specific office with the most mixed-party election outcomes was the U.S. Senate, with four.
| State | Presidential vote | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | State Senate | State House | Total Splits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Alaska | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Arizona | Republican | Yes | No | No | No | 1 |
| Arkansas | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| California | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Colorado | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Connecticut | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Delaware | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Florida | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Georgia | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Hawaii | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Idaho | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Illinois | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Indiana | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Iowa | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Kansas | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Kentucky | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Louisiana | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Maine | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Maryland | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Massachusetts | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Michigan | Republican | Yes | No | No | No | 1 |
| Minnesota | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Mississippi | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Missouri | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Montana | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Nebraska | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Nevada | Republican | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 |
| New Hampshire | Democratic | No | No | Yes | Yes | 2 |
| New Jersey | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| New Mexico | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| New York | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| North Carolina | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| North Dakota | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Ohio | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Oklahoma | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Oregon | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Pennsylvania | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Rhode Island | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| South Carolina | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| South Dakota | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Tennessee | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Texas | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Utah | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Vermont | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Virginia | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Washington | Democratic | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| West Virginia | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Wisconsin | Republican | Yes | No | No | No | 1 |
| Wyoming | Republican | No | No | No | No | 0 |
| Totals | N/A | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
See also
- Presidential election, 2024
- United States Senate elections, 2024
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2024
- State legislative elections, 2024
- Election results, 2024: Split-ticket states in the 2024 presidential and gubernatorial elections
- Election results, 2024: Split-ticket voting in statewide elections
Footnotes
- ↑ Gubernatorial elections were not considered in this analysis due to the limited number of states that hold those elections in presidential election years.
- ↑ James. Why Americans Split Their Tickets: Campaigns, Competition, and Divided Government . The Journal of Politics Volume 66, Number 4 (November 2004): 1308-1309.
