• Temperature Check: 2023 Gubernatorial Races

    Temperature Check: 2023 Gubernatorial Races

    With just over 100 days until Election Day 2023, the picture of each of the three contests is coming into focus. Narratives are solidifying and voters are tuning in to their local campaigns. The stage is set for a broadly uncompetitive race in Louisiana, a possibly competitive one in Mississippi, and a barn-burner in Kentucky.… Read More

  • Presidential Elections And The Economy

    Presidential Elections And The Economy

    Historically, voters have punished or rewarded presidents at the polls for their perceived handling of the nation’s economy — Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Ronald Reagan in 1984 are two excellent examples of this effect from both ends of the spectrum. While this sentiment has arguably been misplaced at times, given the limited, peripheral role… Read More

  • America and the Affirmative Action Debate

    America and the Affirmative Action Debate

    Last month, the Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, holding that race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions violate both Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision, which also covered Harvard’s companion case Students for… Read More

  • The DeSantis Decline

    The DeSantis Decline

    After former President Donald Trump led a hand-picked slate of candidates to defeat in 2022, many Republicans sought a fresh face to lead the conservative movement. For some members of the GOP establishment, the ideal candidate was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In him they saw a younger, sharper version of the former president, and someone… Read More

  • The Milligan Decision: What Does It Mean for Alabama Redistricting?

    The Milligan Decision: What Does It Mean for Alabama Redistricting?

    On June 8th, the Supreme Court handed down a 5-4 decision in Allen v. Milligan, finding that Alabama’s current congressional map likely violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The decision paves the way for a second majority-black district in the state. More importantly, the Court held that the VRA does apply to redistricting and… Read More

  • How Much Does Early Presidential Polling Matter?

    How Much Does Early Presidential Polling Matter?

    Donald Trump’s “MAGA” movement is arguably more unpopular than ever before, with only 24% of the electorate (and 12% of independents) viewing it favorably. But if you looked at the 2024 presidential polls for a Biden-Trump rematch, you probably wouldn’t be able to figure that out. Virtually every polling aggregation shows an extremely tight race,… Read More

  • Does Trump’s Indictment Change Anything?

    Does Trump’s Indictment Change Anything?

    Last week, the Department of Justice indicted former President Donald Trump on 37 counts relating to his illegal retention of classified documents. Despite the possibility of conviction and his unpopularity among the general electorate, Trump remains the favorite to win the Republican nomination, and polls suggest that his latest scandal hasn’t impacted his standing with… Read More

  • New York City’s Changing Coalitions

    New York City’s Changing Coalitions

    New York City is the most diverse city in the world and its electoral coalitions follow these sectional lines. Because voters with similar identities often share political preferences, understanding demographic change helps explain the coalition changes in New York City across forty years: between the 1984 and 2020 presidential elections. The first significant groups of… Read More

  • Our Initial 2024 Presidential Ratings

    Our Initial 2024 Presidential Ratings

    With the Republican presidential primary field all but set and the election less than 18 months away, Split Ticket now debuts its initial 2024 presidential ratings. Historically, preference volatility has hindered projection-making from this point in time, over a year out from either party convention. However, with increased ideological entrenchment, it appears clear that a… Read More