PROVIDENCE -- House Republicans have consistently tried to overturn a state law that allows Rhode Island voters to chose the straight-ticket option on Election Day.

With good reason.

Democrats traditionally get a big boost from straight-ticket voters. This year was no exception. About 21 percent of voters used the straight-ticket option last week: 79,269 voted Democratic and 23,933 voted Republican, according to the Secretary of State's office.

This year's straight-party ticket numbers are similar to 2006, when a wave of anti-Republican sentiment swept the nation. In 2006, about 20 percent of voters used the straight-ticket option -- 61,357 voted Democratic and 18,424 voted Republican, according to Secretary of State spokesman Chris Barnett.

While there is little doubt that the option benefited Democrats, it didn't work out for all of them.

Before the election, Senate President Joseph Montalbano said he was confident he would win and cited straight-party voters as one of the reasons. He noted that his opponent, Independent Edward O'Neill, wouldn't receive any straight-ticket votes.

O'Neill beat Montalbano anyway.

It's unlikely that the increased Democratic majority in the General Assembly would change current law in the coming session. And based on Barnett's comments, it doesn't appear the Secretary of State would support a repeal of the straight-ticket option either.

"Given that one in five voters used the master lever, we know that a significant number of voters value the choice of voting straight party," Barnett said. "People who take the time to vote know their own minds. Straight-ticket voting is an endorsement of a platform of policies specific to a particular party."

He continued: "The straight-party option also has flexibility, too. You can vote straight-ticket and vote for an off-ticket candidate or candidates on the same ballot. A vote for a particular off-ticket candidate negates the straight-party vote for that particular office only."