There is evidence of a growing trend toward ticket splitting, or independent voting patterns in all U.S. elections, especially in recent years. Independence of the electorate in 1972 was visible in the large Republican vote for President, during substantial voting for Democrats in Congress, and in gubernatorial elections. Analysis of mass media variables and the electorate in general leads to the conclusion that the DeVries and Tarrance testing model is unconfirmed. Researchers who posit a correspondence between perceptually derived data on mass media influence and ticket splitting have yet to support that position convincingly. (CH)