Fact check: Which states have the highest number of split-ticket voters in Congressional elections?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, North Carolina emerges as the most consistently identified state with high levels of split-ticket voting in Congressional elections ^[1]. The state has a documented tradition of split-ticket voting, with voters frequently choosing Republican candidates for president while selecting Democratic candidates for governor ^[1].

Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Michigan are also identified as states with significant split-ticket voting patterns in recent elections ^[1]. Maryland appears as another notable example, with specific data showing that approximately 10% of voters in Baltimore County supported Democrat Kamala Harris for president while backing Republican Larry Hogan for another position ^[2].

The 2024 election data reveals that 1.9% of Republican voters in battleground states who supported Republican candidates for Congress and state legislative seats split their ticket by voting for Joe Biden ^[3]. This suggests that split-ticket voting, while present, represents a relatively small but potentially decisive portion of the electorate.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal several significant gaps in addressing the original question:

• No comprehensive ranking or quantitative comparison of states by absolute numbers of split-ticket voters exists in the provided sources ^{[4] [5] [2]}
• Limited focus on Congressional elections specifically - most data centers on presidential-gubernatorial splits rather than House or Senate races ^[1]
• Demographic analysis is minimal - only Maryland provides specific voter demographic breakdowns of split-ticket voters ^[2]
• Historical trends are largely absent - the data primarily focuses on 2020 and 2024 elections without longer-term patterns ^[3]

Independent voters appear to drive much of the split-ticket behavior, with sources indicating they prefer "practical, issue-based decision-making over partisan loyalty" ^[6]. This suggests that states with larger independent voter populations might correlate with higher split-ticket voting, though this connection isn't explicitly established in the analyses.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself contains no apparent misinformation or bias - it's a straightforward factual inquiry about voting patterns. However, the question's framing assumes that comprehensive data on split-ticket voting by state exists and is readily available.

The lack of systematic data collection on this topic becomes apparent through the analyses, as sources note the limited availability of cast vote records for research purposes ^[3]. This suggests that definitive answers to the question may be constrained by data availability rather than analytical capability.

The sources show a potential geographic bias toward discussing battleground or swing states (North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan) rather than providing a truly comprehensive national analysis ^[1]. This could create a misleading impression that split-ticket voting is primarily a swing-state phenomenon when it may occur more broadly across different types of states.