General Discussion

soandso

(1,155 posts) Mon Nov 18, 2024, 05:46 PM Monday

The so-called "bullet ballots" and too many voting for president only [View all]

This comes up several times a day with the assertion that swing states had far more ballots voting for president (presumably Trump) only and skipping the rest of the ballot/voting top of the ticket exclusively. So, I finally took a look and posted the following in another thread where it's not really going to been seen much. I'm reposting here for anyone interested:

I took some random states, some swing states and some not, and compared the difference between the number of votes for president to the number of votes in their senate races. I used Decision Desk for the latest totals.

California

Presidential Votes: 15,104,778
Senate Votes: 14,638,283
Percentage Difference: ((15,104,778 - 14,638,283) / 15,104,778) * 100 ≈ 3.09%

Arizona

Presidential Votes: 3,378,651
Senate Votes: 3,337,566
Percentage Difference: ((3,378,651 - 3,337,566) / 3,378,651) * 100 ≈ 1.22%

New Mexico

Presidential Votes: 923,319
Senate Votes: 903,201
Percentage Difference: ((923,319 - 903,201) / 923,319) * 100 ≈ 2.18%

Minnesota

Presidential Votes: 3,242,938
Senate Votes: 3,186,151
Percentage Difference: ((3,242,938 - 3,186,151) / 3,242,938) * 100 ≈ 1.75%

Wisconsin

Presidential Votes: 3,415,154
Senate Votes: 3,387,420
Percentage Difference: ((3,415,154 - 3,387,420) / 3,415,154) * 100 ≈ 0.81%

Washington

Presidential Votes: 3,845,914
Senate Votes: 3,752,419
Percentage Difference: ((3,845,914 - 3,752,419) / 3,845,914) * 100 ≈ 2.43%

Texas

Presidential Votes: 11,559,607
Senate Votes: 11,269,112
Percentage Difference: ((11,559,607 - 11,269,112) / 11,559,607) * 100 ≈ 2.51%

Pennsylvania

Presidential Votes: 7,025,367
Senate Votes: 6,953,319
Percentage Difference: ((7,025,367 - 6,953,319) / 7,025,367) * 100 ≈ 1.03%

Virginia

Presidential Votes: 4,482,075
Senate Votes: 4,436,419
Percentage Difference: ((4,482,075 - 4,436,419) / 4,482,075) * 100 ≈ 1.02%

Ohio

Presidential Votes: 5,647,668
Senate Votes: 5,585,865
Percentage Difference: ((5,647,668 - 5,585,865) / 5,647,668) * 100 ≈ 1.09%

As you can see, the swing states did NOT have a greater %age difference in top of the ticket and down ballot. In fact, it's California (blue state) that has the greatest discrepancy and Wisconsin (swing state) the lowest.

https://decisiondeskhq.com/results/2024/General/President/
https://decisiondeskhq.com/results/2024/General/US-Senate/

123 replies

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The so-called "bullet ballots" and too many voting for president only [View all] soandso Monday OP

Was just about to ask you in the other thread to make this an OP Sympthsical Monday #1

I hope it adds a bit of clarity soandso Monday #2

What does that even mean? Define %age difference, I don't know what you're talking about. bucolic_frolic Monday #3

The percentage difference between soandso Monday #5

It's the percentage of votes cast in the presidential race in excess of the votes cast in the Senate race onenote Monday #7

And what this reveals soandso Monday #25

Yep. There are lots of low information voters who simply choose not to vote in a race they probably don't know onenote Monday #63

I'm good with that soandso Monday #76

Better than someone going down the ballot and randomly picking names based on whose name they like more. MichMan Tuesday #106

Thanks, but don't expect 2024 "election deniers" to accept facts. Silent Type Monday #4

The scare quotes should be dropped. Igel Monday #48

So you mean the spoon guy is full of crap? Who could have guessed? tritsofme Monday #6

IIRC, he was claiming software was hacked soandso Monday #8

He has made lots of baseless claims, I'll give you that. tritsofme Monday #10

It's up to the people peddling this crap to show back up HereForTheParty Monday #11

This guy? JanMichael Monday #75

thank you for posting this. Takket Monday #9

My pleasure soandso Monday #19

Not the same ERW Monday #83

first post huh? funny all these low post count numbers trying to whip up DU into an election conspiracy frenzy Takket Monday #93

Your analysis is just meaningless numbers... SnoopDog Monday #12

If a bullet ballot SickOfTheOnePct Monday #15

How about the House votes? SnoopDog Monday #51

It doesn't matter SickOfTheOnePct Monday #56

Well, the Senate race in PA was important too SnoopDog Monday #68

You don't seem to understand what a "bullet ballot" is. onenote Monday #78

Right...bad guys would think to themselves... SnoopDog Monday #80

So why didn't they steal the Senate races in Arizona and Wisconsin too? tritsofme Monday #86

The guy pushing the conspiracy theory that the race was stolen is using that definition EdmondDantes_ Monday #87

Spoonamore provided the definition: onenote Monday #91

This message was self-deleted by its author Truth_Serum Tuesday #111

The actual calculations for NC do not show a 303,039 vote difference. onenote Tuesday #112

You're right Truth_Serum Tuesday #113

By definition, a so called "bullet ballot" does not include... reACTIONary Monday #79

See above post 80... SnoopDog Monday #81

Your post 80 is exactly right, which means... reACTIONary Monday #94

Concerning serious reflection and analysis.... reACTIONary Monday #96

Thank you for the article! n/t Ms. Toad Tuesday #103

Yeah, how about those soandso Monday #61

lol, right...These are actual numbers, unlike the Spoon guy's make-believe numbers. tritsofme Monday #16

lol soandso Monday #21

Are you a mathematician? An election specialist? Statistician? SnoopDog Monday #53

The numbers I posted are those posted by the states soandso Monday #66

I'm not, but let me ask you this... do you think the DNC employs such people? Takket Monday #84

I don't know.... Does the Democractic Party have any leadership? SnoopDog Monday #90

Yeah, it's crazy that some swing states showed as much as 5% and 7% of "President Only" ballots.. Think. Again. Monday #13

The numbers provided in the OP SickOfTheOnePct Monday #14

Oddly enough... Think. Again. Monday #26

But Spoonamore says it's 7% in Arizona SickOfTheOnePct Monday #35

Lake is the only red Senate candidate on the ballot. Think. Again. Monday #42

I'm not sure why you think that matters in any way? Not everyone votes a straight ticket. tritsofme Monday #45

Exactly SickOfTheOnePct Monday #47

maybe Kari Lake should be the one asking for a recount then LOL Takket Monday #88

All this means is that a bunch of Trump voters also voted for Gallego. tritsofme Monday #38

All that shows is that people split tickets soandso Monday #41

And neither do you. Think. Again. Monday #43

I never made any claim that necessitated access to ballots soandso Monday #49

This just demonstrates split tickets Abnredleg Monday #44

States prevent split ballots? Igel Monday #50

lol...wow. There's no evidence to support the claim, but here's some guy who called into a radio show. tritsofme Monday #18

Post removed Post removed Monday #27

There is certainly a group of folks who are eager to be scammed tritsofme Monday #29

Feel free to check my math in post # 26 Think. Again. Monday #31

Your math in post #26 has nothing to do with the claim that there was an inordinate number of bullet ballots. onenote Monday #85

But remember: " His number estimates aren't important" muriel_volestrangler Monday #23

How about instead of relying on somebody else soandso Monday #24

See post #26 Think. Again. Monday #33

Actual numbers just aren't backing the claim. paleotn Monday #65

And after viewing the interview again... Think. Again. Monday #69

There's a dozen ways to slice and dice the data, but no smoking gun so far. paleotn Monday #72

Steven Spoonamore on The Thom Hartmann Program Live (11/18/2024) - 02:16:30 - 02:28:45 - ConcernedCitizen1776 Tuesday #110

How are we supposed to avoid the emotions of the election results if we can't claim the results are fraudulent? Fiendish Thingy Monday #17

It's this OP that is wrong, they used the numbers from both Dem and red ballots together. Think. Again. Monday #32

And as it's been pointed out to you repeatedly Zeitghost Tuesday #115

The bullet ballots are the reason we won so many close Gov. Senate and House races Fiendish Thingy Monday #20

Exactly right soandso Monday #22

I'd say over 9% is a big excess of bullet ballots (see post # 26). Think. Again. Monday #30

It would be SickOfTheOnePct Monday #39

I saw your post and addressed it soandso Monday #46

You do realize that our lack of the actual ballots... Think. Again. Monday #52

You don't need to see the ballots SickOfTheOnePct Monday #58

Explain what those numbers mean please? Think. Again. Monday #60

Sure SickOfTheOnePct Tuesday #116

Agreed Zeitghost Tuesday #122

Absolutely! SickOfTheOnePct Tuesday #123

What position? soandso Monday #64

close races don't need huge numbers ERW Monday #89

True enough soandso Monday #97

Hi, you used numbers from both Dem and red ballots... Think. Again. Monday #28

Show your work soandso Monday #34

See post # 26 Think. Again. Monday #36

No you didn't Zeitghost Monday #100

Nope SickOfTheOnePct Monday #37

Lake was the only red Senate candidate on the ballot. Think. Again. Monday #40

So what? SickOfTheOnePct Monday #54

And many republicans didn't like her and voted for the democratic jimfields33 Monday #55

And then how did the green Senate candidate end up with over 50k more than stein? Think. Again. Monday #59

Many voters think the environment is priority jimfields33 Monday #62

So you think some trump voters also voted for the green senate candidate? Think. Again. Monday #70

People splitting tickets differently than you think they should have is not evidence of fraud. tritsofme Monday #71

Actually, I may be heading that way... Think. Again. Monday #74

No. jimfields33 Monday #92

Because there will have been people who voted Trump for president, and Quintana (Green) for senator muriel_volestrangler Tuesday #104

I don't think that's the claim at all. Igel Monday #57

So (please correct me if I'm wrong)... Think. Again. Monday #67

Yes wanderer54 Tuesday #105

Ding Ding Ding AZSkiffyGeek Tuesday #108

Good job Cirsium Monday #73

It's not the right soandso Monday #77

yes, understood Cirsium Monday #82

I don't know why they would would soandso Monday #95

Well, that is depressing Cirsium Tuesday #101

What's depressing? soandso Tuesday #102

What is depressing? Cirsium Tuesday #114

Au contraire soandso Tuesday #118

Well, it took a while Cirsium Tuesday #119

Paper ballot judge, here Maeve Monday #98

Jeez soandso Monday #99

"You only have to vote on what you want to vote on, just don't vote for more than one when it says only one" Maeve Tuesday #107

At least he looked it up. soandso Tuesday #117

I totally see California being 3% Sympthsical Tuesday #109

Bookmarked, thanks for doing the work. scipan Tuesday #120

YW soandso Tuesday #121