Texas officials have turned over the state’s voter roll to the U.S. Justice Department, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, complying with the Trump administration’s demands for access to data on millions of voters across the country.
The Justice Department last fall began asking all 50 states for their voter rolls — massive lists containing significant identifying information on every registered voter in each state — and other election-related data. The Justice Department has said the effort is central to its mission of enforcing election law requiring states to regularly maintain voter lists by searching for and removing ineligible voters.
Alicia Pierce, a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, told Votebeat and The Texas Tribune that the state had sent its voter roll, which includes information on the approximately 18.4 million voters registered in Texas, to the Justice Department on Dec. 23.
72 Comments
A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world · 114 pts · 240d
Republicans really are fucking idiots aren't they
No disrespect to any fucking idiots reading this
supersquirrel@sopuli.xyz · 46 pts · 240d
I think I speak for all fucking idiots when I say this, thank you for not disrespecting us because WOW we are dumb but we aren't Texas dumb!
Nutteman@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 240d
Spongebob and Patrick were right all along
Carmakazi@piefed.social · 93 pts · 240d
Right now it will be used to cull "illegals."
Later it will be used to cull the "politically unreliable."
Typhoon@lemmy.ca · 40 pts · 240d
The definition of "illegals" will expand to more and more groups.
notwhoyouthink@lemmy.zip · 15 pts · 240d
Ding ding ding.
The Trump regime has already floated the idea of suspending citizenship, and has already told those that don’t agree with them to ‘leave’.
TrippingBalls@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
Does that mean I don't have to pay to renounce my citizenship?
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 240d
the problem is where will they send you, and how will you be able to live in a country while not on a visa, because the country couldve easily deport you back.
pivot_root@lemmy.world · 22 pts · 240d
Republican Party right now: "they're the same picture!"
A_norny_mousse@feddit.org · 7 pts · 240d
OK that's bad, but they can do so much more with such data. Like, make sure they "win" the election.
Is that legal, that the federal government can demand this from states?
Honestly voter registration (with party affiliation) just feels illegal to me.
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 240d
Texas doesn't have party affiliation in voter registration.
wjrii@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 240d
No, but they do track which primary we choose to vote in, which locks you in for any runoffs and serves as a defacto party registration until the next primary.
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 240d
It does give historical context that "they" use in the "likely " polling forecasts, but the affiliation itself expires at the end of the calendar year of the primary. Not saying that the data can't be used maliciously, but it's legally different then what people mean when they talk about their voter registration having that information. States that have that on your voter registration are also likely to have closed primaries, which Texas does not.
50MYT@lemmy.world · 82 pts · 240d
Interesting.
Last election, Elon used his scam lottery to collect names and details of independent voters.
One of his dodge hires had written a full test software for voting machines, including a program to use names and data to generate votes for testing.
Those states then all had the increased single vote percentages move a significant margin to all vote red.
Now they are telling the states to give them the same data....
anon_8675309@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 240d
This doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough.
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 9 pts · 240d
Fixed it for you.
brygphilomena@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 34 pts · 240d
The state that constantly wanted to secede is now getting as cozy as could be with the federal government.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 8 pts · 240d
texas is pretty much russia2.0, as far as how the govt is ran, its a template for the rest of the country.
Asafum@lemmy.world · 29 pts · 240d
This is exactly why I changed my registration to independent in 2016. I knew this shit was coming and I for one am not willingly putting myself on a registered "enemies list" for a fascist fuckwit to use against me. Unfortunately in NY that means I can't vote in primaries...
minorkeys@lemmy.world · 17 pts · 240d
That may not help though, if you don't support them, you're a target. You don't have to be dem to be targeted you just have to be a problem.
Asafum@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 240d
I suppose, but if I'm ever questioned about it I can just make up some b.s about living in NY and was afraid that the evil leftist communist Venezuela loving Democrats would hurt me if I registered as Republican.
null@piefed.nullspace.lol · 2 pts · 240d
Hope you posted this on a VPN and have never logged into your account without it
U7826391786239@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 240d
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 240d
We don't have party affiliation on the voter registration forms here though.
Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 240d
The information includes what party's primary you voted in.
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
My point is that it's not stored as part of your voter registration data. We have open primaries and they record which you voted in so that you can only vote in primary runoffs if you voted in that same year's original primary.
jj4211@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
Wonder what they would make of switching back and forth between primaries election to election...
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
In terms of campaign analytics and polling profiling that would make you an independent voter and likely to receive attention from the campaigns you are eligible to vote for/against.
jj4211@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
Well, more from a hypothetical suppression perspective. I certainly know I get a lot of unwanted mailings for elections from all sides since I change primaries based on either whom I want to win, or alternatively if there's someone I really don't want to win and need to vote for a competitor, weighted against the relative likelihood of the vote mattering in that particular race in my particular area..
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
I think it would make you a "see how they vote after the first wave" on their suppression schedule. Like if it scares you into voting "correctly" after all the reliable "wrong" voters are purged ... then you can keep voting.
jj4211@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
Of course, it's funny because they have no idea if I'm voting 'for' the party in question or voting to try to keep the party in question from putting up someone like Trump, even if I still want them to lose either way.
Asafum@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 240d
Good to know, but they do want this nationally. Texas was just eager to assist.
imsufferableninja@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 240d
When I lived in Texas I registered as a Republican so I could vote in the primary.
Arghblarg@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 240d
Might actually be a good idea if everyone registered as Republican. Then there's no way to tell who's really going to vote for them. Hah, sorry I forgot there probably won't be any more votes.
Asafum@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
Interesting, Barron Von J just told me Texas doesn't have party affiliation on their registrations.
Not sure who to trust.
imsufferableninja@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 240d
That is technically correct, but immaterial from a practical standpoint. The party affiliation is per calendar year - when you vote in one party's primary you are "registered" as that party for a year, so you can't vote in the other parties' primaries. So the primaries are nominally open unlike states with party affiliation on the registration, but practically there's no difference from closed primaries.
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 4 pts · 240d
wewbull@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 240d
The whole premise of "registering as a xxxxxx" is screwed up.
DarkFuture@lemmy.world · 27 pts · 240d
Treason.
AbidanYre@lemmy.world · 24 pts · 240d
For a state that loves to say "don't mess with [us]", they sure are a bunch of dumb little bitches.
The next time a democrat decides to take over Texas, or whatever the hell they thought Jade Helm was, they'll have this list now too.
Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone · 16 pts · 240d
Bet 'The don't tread on me' sovcit folks are knotted and contorted messes now. Where'd all yer flags go now, ya cunts.
retreaux@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 240d
Don't worry about them, they didn't hear about this news at all and wouldn't care even if they did. Everyone in that camp will fall in line with Daddy Trump.
Gorgritch_umie_killa@aussie.zone · 1 pts · 240d
😂
Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 16 pts · 240d
Aren't these already public? Whenever I canvas they give us a list with everyone registered and their party affiliation, and if people ask how we know we tell them that it's from the voter rolls.
jonathan7luke@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 240d
Yeah, I'm kinda confused here as well. You've been able to request voter records for years now, and they already include basically all the information the article is talking about: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/pi.pdf. There are several websites that submit these requests and then publish the results online for free. My voting history (including name, address, age, etc.) has been up on these sites for years. I do not like that at all, but I have no control over it. I'm not really sure what is different about what was handed over from Texas to the federal government...
mrcleanup@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 240d
Washington State refused the request because the feds wanted socials, license numbers, signatures, birthdates, and other information protected by state law. They happily shared the general info like name and address, but the feds are trying to sue to get the protected parts too.
jonathan7luke@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 240d
Ah, yep, that's what it is. Thanks for the clarification. Found this in another article:
HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 14 pts · 240d
I can’t tell if this is just for those currently registered or if it includes previous.
Glad i no longer live in texas
treadful@lemmy.zip · 12 pts · 240d
I always thought these were public record. TIL, I guess.
A_Union_of_Kobolds@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 240d
Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 5 pts · 240d
Yep. Its kinda fucked how many states just... have this information on the open internet. I can just google my address (just street and number, no city info) and get a crapload of information.
VoterRecords.com
jonathan7luke@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 240d
Where are you getting that from? As I mentioned in another reply, you've been able to request voter records for years now, and they already include basically all the information the article is talking about: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/pi.pdf. There are several websites that submit these requests and then publish the results online for free. My voting history (including name, address, age, etc.) has been up on these sites for years. I do not like that at all, but I have no control over it. I'm not really sure what is different about what was handed over from Texas to the federal government...
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 240d
treadful@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 240d
That's not exactly sensitive info. Property records are very public with that same info.
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 1 pts · 240d
treadful@lemmy.zip · 3 pts · 240d
The current situation doesn't retroactively somehow make these records sensitive.
Not in my (most?) states. Property records are readily accessible online for the states I've had to look up. I can pull up a property on a map and find full history of sales, purchases, owners, permits, renovations, and more. Also why it's used often in OSINT.
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · -1 pts · 240d
treadful@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 240d
You made multiple claims about how it's not "very public" and somehow that the property owner can somehow block requests which is just nonsense. And now you've changed to arguing that it's public but somehow restricted by location or whatever. Or maybe you've run into scraping protections before and somehow you think that supports your idea that this information is not public. At best maybe you're referencing a state that has these protections, but it's absolutely not commonplace. I think you're just full of shit, though.
What?
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · 0 pts · 240d
AmbiguousProps@lemmy.today · 2 pts · 240d
Property records in most states and counties have a web portal with a search bar. You input the address and you can get the name of who lives there. The opposite is true in some places as well, you input the name and get the address. It's not good, don't get me wrong, but it is "very public" in most places.
Luckily, my state doesn't have you register your political affiliation. That's what is most worrying about Texas doing this, since they do have you pick a primary. Otherwise, it is basically just public records.
green_red_black@slrpnk.net · -1 pts · 240d
frustrated_phagocytosis@fedia.io · 2 pts · 240d
With your driver's license info included?
UnspecificGravity@piefed.social · 2 pts · 240d
Many states (including Texas) require voters to register as a member of a political party. Texas just handed the Feds a list of all the voting Democrats in Texas.
treadful@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 240d
One of the minor reasons I've always registered independent.
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
Texas does not have party affiliation on the voter registration form or ID card, and we have open primaries.
wjrii@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 240d
But we can only vote in one party's primary for any given election cycle, including runoffs, so it serves as a defacto registration.
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
Yes but that affiliation is automatic when you vote in a primary and expires at the end of that calendar year, to ensure you can only vote in a primary runoff if you voted in the original primary.
UnspecificGravity@piefed.social · 1 pts · 240d
You affiliate with a party in order to even get a primary ballot.
https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/laws/advisory2020-05.shtml
baronvonj@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
The affiliation is automatic when you tell the election official which primary you want to vote in, it's not a separate action you have to take ahead of time like voter registration is. And it expires at the end of the same calendar year. It's so you can only vote in a primary runoff if you voted in the original primary.
UnspecificGravity@piefed.social · 1 pts · 240d
Which gets recorded to the roll so they can enforce that.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 0 pts · 240d
they just dont know your personal details, like DL, SSN,,,etc. just where or who you voted for.
DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works · 9 pts · 239d
Oops, accidentally purged the registration of 1,000,000 voters in the Democrat folder
Honest mistake, no cap frfr
Tempus_Fugit@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 240d
Counting on TX being a POS state has never been a bad bet.
SuiXi3D@fedia.io · 5 pts · 240d
FUCK THIS STATE
bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 240d
Can anyone truly say they dont think voting is rigged?
I mean im certain it was rigged with paper ballets, just a little more difficult. But we have voting machines programmed by musks friends/fans. There's no way votes matter and probably haven't for 20 years.
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 0 pts · 240d
texas desperately needed to stay red, so they intimidate the blue districts into not voting, its voter intimidation pure and simple. its probably better for blue voters to not register for voting at this point.
E_coli42@lemmy.world · -1 pts · 240d
Hey Trump, now you know I live in Texas and vote blue. Bite me.
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 240d
He does not bite, but he lets shoot. Be careful what you wish for.