1. relating to or denoting elections or candidates for lower-level political offices (such as state legislature, county commissioner, or school board) rather than major offices like president or governor
Usage: U.S. politics; often written as two words (down ballot) or hyphenated (down-ballot)

1. in or toward the lower positions on a ballot; in reference to lesser-known or lower-level races
Usage: U.S. politics

Examples

• Downballot races often receive less media attention than presidential elections.
• Many voters focus on the top of the ticket and neglect downballot candidates.
• The party invested heavily in downballot campaigns to gain control of state legislatures.
• Downballot turnout is typically lower than turnout for major offices.
• She ran a successful downballot campaign for county clerk.
• Voters should research downballot positions before casting their ballots.