r/politics • u/jhkayejr • 3h ago
Paywall Texas voter suspense list grows to nearly 1.8 million. What to know
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/elections/article/texas-voter-suspense-list-grows-nearly-1-8-22476892.php•
u/SatiesUmbrellaCloset 3h ago
Suspense means your county does not know your address or thinks you moved
well it seems like they've done a good job obfuscating that meaning and discouraging people
i hope i'm wrong though
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u/spookaddress 3h ago
I will tell you what I have been told by a county Democratic Party official about suspension.
In order to get on the suspension list, a couple of things may have occurred. One, your voter registration card got returned to the post office as undeliverable because no one was there to pick it up, or it sat in your mailbox too long.
The other most common occurrence is missing your jury duty summons. If you don't show up for jury duty, they assume you've moved your voter registration may be put on suspense.
The remedy for suspense is this. When you go to vote, if they tell you you're under suspense, you still get a standard ballot. It is not a provisional ballot.
You simply have to sign an affidavit that you still live at your registered address.
That's it. That's the only thing you have to do wherever you live where you live.
And believe it or not, we were told this number is among the lowest it's been in several cycles.
This is a case where the media is using that fear to drive clicks.
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u/toxic_badgers Colorado 43m ago
I find it hard to believe that nearly 10% of registered voters in texas have missed jury duty or didn't check the mail.
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u/codeprimate Washington 2h ago
This is related the the “glitch” where individuals who renewed/changed their license address online were given the option to update their voter registration…but the system didn’t.
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u/Mikethebest78 3h ago
Its as I have always said the Blue vote in Texas didn't vanish it was just suppressed.
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u/not_a_bug_a_feature 3h ago
in 2020 during covid, the republicans set a max of 1 ballot drop off box per county. Now, this isn't a big deal for most red counties as there are 50 people there. However, for blue counties like Travis county with literally millions of people, it was obvious voter supression
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u/Frosty_Luck2056 2h ago
Should be investigated and prosecuted by the appropriate federal government groups, but here we are. Unacceptable.
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u/cyclonus007 2h ago
When the people who benefit from it are also in charge because of it, there will never be any investigations.
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u/Bwob I voted 1h ago
Should be investigated and prosecuted by the appropriate federal government groups
What's the appropriate federal government group?
States have always been in charge of administering their own elections however they want. That's part of the problem.
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u/kshell11724 42m ago
The DOJ is supposed to handle and enforce federal voting rights legislation that protects people based on race and minority status. But obviously this DOJ is shirking it's duties even more than previous administrations.
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u/SanchoPandas Oregon 11m ago
Agreed. States need to be asserting control over federal interference. But the problem described above sounds like it’s occurring at the state election level.
Same issue though, people in power manipulating the levers to their advantage.
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u/SecondBestNameEver Illinois 35m ago
We need federal legislation that sets minimum amounts of voting locations and ballot drop offs per capital, and the furthest distance they are to be spaced out. Should be adjusted with the census just like the districts. It's blatent voter suppression when you have people in urban centers standing in line for 8 hours to vote and rural people able to walk right in and grab a ballot with no line. I don't want blue states to fight fire with fire, but if that evens the playing field until red states quick fucking around then so be it.
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u/arkaine_23 21m ago
Yes, this happensd and yes it was clearly suppression. But its not quite the scale you made it out to be, in normal times at least.
For one thing, most Texans can't vote by mail so they wouldn't be using a secure dropbox. You have to be over 65 or disabled or traveling outside your county during the election or military stationed abroad to vote by mail/absentee in Texas, and you have to apply for it by mail in advance before a deadline.
Additionally, you can send your mail ballot through the regular mail. It doesn't have to go into a secure ballot dropbox. People didn't trust the US postal service in 2020 bc Trump, so dropboxes seemed less risky.
There are a little under 1M registered voters in Travis county right now, and far, far fewer who have mail ballots.
During the pandemic some counties were pushing at the loopholes and advocating mail voting to everyone because you didn't have to prove a disability at the time and could vote by mail to help prevent getting/spreading Covid at voting sites.
The legislature tightened the rules in 2021 as a result, to address the loose language in the law.
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u/KellyAnn3106 1h ago
I'm in the county in this CNN video about a MAGA group filing false voter challenges on people. I made their hitlist a couple of years ago. I had been an active, registered voter in my county for 20 years and I was suddenly suspended. It took months of follow-ups to get it fixed.
I asked my friend group to check and about half of them were mysteriously suspended as well. The suppression is real.
There are no consequences to these people for screwing up voter registrations. I think they should face charges for each and every bad faith challenge they file or is proved baseless.
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u/RhinoKeepr I voted 1h ago
That’s worth of going to a local newspaper or Texas Tribune to corroborate because if true, that’s a big deal. I am not saying there will be consequences but it should be made public nonetheless.
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u/KellyAnn3106 1h ago
It's absolutely true. These groups have been operating for a while. I had to cast a provisional ballot in one election cycle because of them. I had my official voter registration postcard from Denton County, my ID, my passport, utility bills, and various other documents that all matched.
The local election judge had me fill out a special form and they confirmed all my info was correct. They were quite baffled about why I was suspended. It was still months before I was restored to active status.
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u/RhinoKeepr I voted 1h ago
I believe you but it’s about proving it beyond an anecdotal story and getting a story written and public. It’s actually worth the time to make it a story but I know it’s hard because for that to happen since you have to be dogged to be taken seriously… and most people have lives to lead which is what the opposition banks on!
I hope you decide to do it. I can connect you to someone at a major paper if that interests you.
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u/SevanIII 23m ago
The journalist Greg Palast has reported extensively on this very issue.
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u/RhinoKeepr I voted 16m ago
While prolific on his own website and surely worthy of praise for the work, Greg isn’t exactly getting widespread attention the way the Dallas Morning News, Texas Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, or San Antonio Express News might be able to. Or perhaps Pro Publica and others.
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u/randomlyme 29m ago
Fight fire with fire ? When it’s hitting them is maybe when a rule will. Be passed, it’s Abused because its has no repercussions.
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u/twiztednips 1h ago
At least someone gets it. People are constantly shitting on Texas even though we are as purple as can be. We’re just getting fucked by our current leadership.
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u/splycedaddy Pennsylvania 1h ago
Doesnt matter what you call it. Only what you’re going to do about it
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u/DeepVeinTrombone 2h ago
Did you read the article or just make a judgment call from the title like 99% of people do?
The third paragraph says " The suspense list has for weeks sown confusion on social media, where some worry it means they were removed from the voter rolls. That is not the case, though."
You can vote, just not in local if you moved counties. If you're in the same county, then you simply fill out a form when you go to vote and you're good to go.
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u/DiscoLemonade1995 1h ago
It's suppressed, but it's also just legitimately a conservative state and we shouldn't be surprised when the voting reflects that
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u/drobits 3h ago
Texas would already be blue if it weren’t for blatant voter suppression, random purges before elections, and making it as difficult to register to vote as possible
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u/TheTrub Colorado 2h ago
They were also the original masters of gerrymandering. Austin has always looked like someone did a half-assed job of slicing a pizza.
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u/Automaton_General 2h ago
I lived in NW Austin, my dad lived in west Houston, 300 miles apart
Both of us had the same rep, McCaul
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u/Changsta Texas 21m ago
Agreed. I've lived in Texas most of my life and there are way more democrats here than the media would like you to think there are. ALL COME OUT AND VOTE NEXT WEEK. SHOW THEM OUR NUMBERS.
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u/drethnudrib 3h ago
Nobody ratfucks elections like Texas ratfucks elections.
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u/victoriaisme2 2h ago
I would give the first prize to Florida for 2000
2nd place to Ohio for 2004 https://web.archive.org/web/20060613024202/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/10432334/was_the_2004_election_stolen/print
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u/zntLimboParty 12m ago
They have to be shitting bricks that Dems could grab the governorship because I'vie it's not 3x as hard for Dems to vote Texas uys blue and never going back.
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u/untolerablyMe 2h ago edited 2h ago
If you’re registered in Texas, take your ID and go vote! And if they pull some BS with you, ask for a provisional ballot! These Republicans are desperate playing voter suppression games. In a swing district county (Starr County), they’re already starting by inconveniencing voters by going to two different polling locations for local and statewide elections for Early Voting. Meanwhile on Election Day (when most Republicans tend to vote), everyone can submit their complete ballots at a single location. They’re already starting the suppression games by causing confusion and inconveniencing voters. In every cycle, but especially this one, your vote matters! Republicans want you to feel the apathy - don’t let them win without a fight
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u/arkaine_23 16m ago
You have an assigned voting location based on your address. You can use any voting location in your county during early voting. On election day, you can only use your assigned voting location.
All the more reason to vote early.
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u/untolerablyMe 3m ago
Voting, aka exercising your bare minimum right as a citizen of this country, should not be a laborious chore such as having to visit two totally different polling sites
. We should make it as easy and fast as possible. Let’s not forget these Republicans closed polling sites in Majority Black Voter districts within Tarant County during the primaries to suppress the vote in Jasmine Crockett’s representative area.
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u/RazzmatazzSuch7459 3h ago
They’re calling them all into question to be scrutinized before they even get recounted at best. Cancelling the votes of millions of Texans at the… that’s not even what could be possibly worst. They’ve made clear moves to make voting more difficult in Texas. how big of a step is it really to go from buying votes to stealing votes?
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u/snoo_spoo 3h ago edited 3h ago
The important stuff. TL;DR: Early vote if at all possible, to avoid having to cast a provisional ballot. If you vote before Nov. 3, your ballot will be counted on election night.
It’s too late to get off the suspense list by the midterm election — that deadline was Oct. 5 — but you can still vote.
If you have moved within the same county, you will be required to fill out a statement of residence form, which should be available at every polling location. That form will be used to update your voter registration, and you should be removed from the suspense list by the next election.
It’s trickier if you have moved to a different county. In that case, you can vote using a limited ballot, which includes state and federal races but no local races. Here’s the catch: Limited ballots are only available during early voting, which runs Oct. 19 to Oct. 30. Voters will not be able to cast a limited ballot on Election Day on Nov. 3.
On Election Day, you will instead have to submit a provisional ballot, which is used to record a vote when there are questions about a voter’s eligibility that must be resolved before a vote can count.
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u/Terrible_turtle_ 3h ago
Check your registration here: https://goelect.txelections.civixapps.com/ivis-mvp-ui/#/login
If you are on it, you can still vote. If you have moved within the same county, you will be required to fill out a statement of residence form, which should be available at every polling location. That form will be used to update your voter registration, and you should be removed from the suspense list by the next election.
It’s trickier if you have moved to a different county. In that case, you can vote using a limited ballot, which includes state and federal races but no local races. Here’s the catch: Limited ballots are only available during early voting, which runs Oct. 19 to Oct. 30. Voters will not be able to cast a limited ballot on Election Day on Nov. 3.
Come on Texas! Turn it blue.
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u/apoca1ypse12 2h ago
These cheating, disgusting party knows that if they lose this, they are fucked for a long time because voter registration is no longer possible for them. Get angry, Texans. Vote these fuckers out
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u/Cautious_Condition82 2h ago
Seems like we found some of that election fraud republicans love to complain about.
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u/Simpicity 3h ago
Sounds like Texas gets 9% less representation from now on.
"Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State."
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u/BlueAurus 20m ago
Maybe we should just start balancing house seats around voter turnouts instead of census
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u/Reddit_9459328 1h ago
Shouldn't the Texas Governor and AG have been on top of this months ago and resolved all the moved/inactive voters? The same geniuses now want to be re-elected so they continue this level of bungling incompetence.
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u/londontubeshirt 2h ago
My status was suspended because when I updated my info they updated my physical address and not my mailing address. It took me awhile to figure that out because the website to check your registration has them on different tabs. They are doing this on purpose.
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u/AustinInDallasTx Texas 2h ago
From the article:
It’s too late to get off the suspense list by the midterm election — that deadline was Oct. 5 — but you can still vote.
If you have moved within the same county, you will be required to fill out a statement of residence form, which should be available at every polling location. That form will be used to update your voter registration, and you should be removed from the suspense list by the next election.
It’s trickier if you have moved to a different county. In that case, you can vote using a limited ballot, which includes state and federal races but no local races. Here’s the catch: Limited ballots are only available during early voting, which runs Oct. 19 to Oct. 30. Voters will not be able to cast a limited ballot on Election Day on Nov. 3.
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u/Brilliant_Armadillo9 2h ago
Pro tip: become a registered republican, your registration will never get touched
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u/DeviantKhan 52m ago
There is no party registration in Texas. You can pick whichever primary you want to vote in.
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u/arkaine_23 12m ago
Choosing to vote in a party's primary is essentially your party registration for 1 year.
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u/LayeGull 2h ago
They did this last cycle. You mean they found another 1.8 million since last time?
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u/onyaasuminyasai 28m ago
if your vote didn't matter, they wouldn't be trying so hard to make it so you can't.
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u/Goldleader-23 2h ago
Im fully suspecting my status to be suspended. They did it to me last year and I had to re-register to vote. Cant wait to go vote monday and get turned away once again
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u/snoo_spoo 2h ago
You can still cast a ballot if your status is "suspended". And you can check your county website before you go to see whether it will even be an issue for you.
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u/Human_Apartment 2h ago
They always scare the masses with voter fraud, a thing that happens so little it has zero effect. However, election fraud, this is what they won’t really acknowledge, the shit red states seem to have convinced both parties to participate in, smh. Before you know it trump is going to want rename the U.S. to trumpistan.
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u/mini-hypersphere 1h ago
I literally checked today and they had me in suspense too. Does seem kinda sus
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u/thebhguy9900 1h ago
1) Intimidate 2) Invalidate 3) Close voting locations in blue districts 4) If it's still close, call in fElon.
No one will ever know.
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u/daddyneedsadrink 2h ago
Texas is a HUGE shithole
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u/Reddit_9459328 1h ago
Texas is a Marijuana Prison State. Texans are so frightened of it, 1 puff gets you 6 months in jail. In 2026. Land of the Free, Home of the Brave* *Freedom and Bravery not available in Texas
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u/DamienDesire 3h ago
The fix is in.
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u/vriska1 3h ago
No it's not! VOTE
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u/DamienDesire 3h ago edited 2h ago
Vote like your life depends on it. It just might.
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u/DA_Bears_Da_Cubs 2h ago
P diddy said this
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u/DamienDesire 2h ago
We actually said it at the same time, but he said "jinx" first so I had to buy the coke
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u/CaliIsReallyNice 8m ago
God damn I'm so glad I left texas as soon as I finished high school. It's a fucking shit hole. Texans, you are genuinely really horrible people. The shit that you do is not normal. Though I do appreciate you attracting the dumbest people away from other nicer states.
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u/Guy-Manuel 1h ago
We need to establish federal level rules around voter eligibility and registration. Red states use it as a weapon every election cycle.
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u/Bradnon 47m ago
Things are bad, and I can't imagine how much worse it would be if elections were under MORE federal control.
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u/APeacefulWarrior 10m ago
Exactly.
Especially considering how badly Trump wishes he could directly interfere in the elections.
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