‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

Unknown number of Texas voter registrations went unprocessed due to DPS error

106 points · 195 comments · hn_acker

  1. agos · · focus · HN ↗
    the entire concept of "voter registration" (and associated shenanigans) is so alien to my European brain that I fail to see any reason why the richest country in the world does things this way other than voter suppression. What am I missing?
    1. krapp · · focus · HN ↗
      You aren't missing anything, it's almost all about voter suppression, and a lot of that is about racism.

      And it isn't even a secret. You can find quotes where politicians talk openly about it. I'm trying to be neutral here but when I say "politicians" I mean within one party.

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.brennancenter.org&#x2F;our-work&#x2F;research-reports&#x2F;when-politicians-tell-truth-voting-restrictions" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.brennancenter.org&#x2F;our-work&#x2F;research-reports&#x2F;when...

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.foxnews.com&#x2F;politics&#x2F;inside-house-republicans-plan-end-run-dem-opposition-pass-trump-backed-voter-id" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.foxnews.com&#x2F;politics&#x2F;inside-house-republicans-pl...

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;guides.libraries.psu.edu&#x2F;historyvotersuppression&#x2F;websitesandresources" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;guides.libraries.psu.edu&#x2F;historyvotersuppression&#x2F;web...

      1. zahlman · · focus · HN ↗
        Since my previous iteration of the comment was completely illegitimately flagged, here it is again:

        &gt; I read your Fox News article. It does not even remotely establish anything like &quot;talking openly&quot; about &quot;racism&quot;. In fact, it explicitly portrays the &quot;politicians&quot; in question advocating for &quot;a proof of citizenship mandate for the voter registration process, and a nationwide photo ID rule to cast a ballot&quot;, and describing these as &quot;really commonsense provisions&quot;, which they would be in countries that didn&#x27;t form as an amalgamation of existing states (provinces, cantons, whatever you want to call them). All the arguments I&#x27;ve heard against this bill have been absurd, for example a canard about women supposedly not being able to prove their (entirely optional) name change when they get married.

        This is a completely reasonable argument to make and it is completely unreasonable to try to suppress it, even if you disagree. If you believe there is something in the Fox News article that supports your claim, feel free to quote it. If &quot;you can find&quot; these quotes, show me some. Like, from within the last few years, not from the Goldwater era, please.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.