Abstract
Voters who use the straight party voting option (SPVO) are more likely than others to roll off when voting for nonpartisan offices and ballot questions. Previous research has theorized that this effect is due to voter error, as individuals fail to understand that they must still complete nonpartisan questions after selecting the straight party option. Using cast vote records, we find the SPVO leads both to voter error in some individuals and satisficing in others. About half of voters using the SPVO who engage in nonpartisan roll-off leave all nonpartisan elected offices blank. At the same time, among voters who vote for at least one nonpartisan elected office, individuals using the SPVO are still more likely than other voters to engage in nonpartisan roll-off. Survey data confirm both of these patterns. Among voters using the SPVO, those with college education are more likely to state that they intentionally rolled off rather than were confused about their vote while those without college education are more likely to be unsure about who they voted for. We also find that the effect of the straight party option on nonpartisan roll-off increases with voter fatigue and decreases with campaign spending, supporting the explanation of satisficing. Our results highlight the unintended effects of ballot design in influencing voter behavior.