CONCORD — New Hampshire voters no longer can put one mark on the ballot to select one party’s slate of candidates.

Voters going to the polls Tuesday will have to put marks by each candidate’s name for the votes to count.

Gov. John Lynch and the Democratically controlled Legislature repealed the straight-ticket option last year even though voters cast 23,000 more straight-ticket ballots for Democrats in 2006 than for Republicans.

Democrats argue the practice has been confusing, with some voters selecting a box on the ballot that indicates they are voting for all candidates of one party, then voting for individual candidates from the other party. The contradiction left voting officials scratching their heads.

Republicans argued for years that making one mark for a slate was simpler and faster for busy voters.

Political leaders can’t predict what the impact will be on state races that are down the ballot from the presidential contest. Secretary of State William Gardner said voters typically skip some of those races and the end of straight-ticket voting probably will mean a wider disparity between the votes cast for president and votes cast for state races, especially for the state Senate and House.

Gardner estimates 25 to 35 percent of ballots were cast straight ticket in past presidential elections.

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