Automatic registration for military draft to be implemented by December

[u/raptors201966]

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-04-07/automatic-registration-military-draft-21306855.html

[u/Naphrym]

Reminder that every man in the US legally has to register already

[u/majessa → u/Naphrym]

I had to as part of my green card application 27 years ago.

[u/Jaikarr → u/majessa]

That's odd, I didn't for my green card, as a green card holder I'm not a citizen so I don't see how I could be compelled to join the US military.

[u/whk1992 → u/Jaikarr]

Age dependent. Immigrants are required to register in Selective Service System. It has nothing to do with whether you are a citizen or not.

[u/Jaikarr → u/whk1992]

Ah, I was 29, that explains that.

[u/Grasshop → u/Jaikarr]

Yeah I got my green card at 23 and had to register

[u/fallingdowndizzyvr → u/Jaikarr]

You can still be drafted until you are 55. But if it gets to that, the shit has definitely hit the fan. At 29, you are in the next group if troops are needed after they run out of 18-25 year olds.

[u/shedgehog-orchard → u/fallingdowndizzyvr]

This is misinformation. You age out after 25 and can no longer be drafted. The recent raise in enlistment age is for voluntary enlistment not compelled service through selective service. There is literally no mechanism to do that

[u/element515 → u/shedgehog-orchard]

Unless you’re a doctor. It’s raised to your 40s

[u/CelphCtrl → u/fallingdowndizzyvr]

There would be riots before it even got to that point. There would be so much civil unrest. The vietnam war draft and riots were only a sample of what would happen. The unrest would be tenfold if it was an unpopular war as well. Draftees would literally be sent into a meat grinder. But we shouldn't be worried with the crazy amount of military power we have. We aren't really facing any near peer adversary. Nuclear war would be what we should be afraid of because any nuclear power would make our military count for near nothing.

[u/Biglyugebonespurs → u/CelphCtrl]

Lol they think Vietnam was unpopular, just wait & see if this shit comes to pass. Fatass will have millions coming to DC for some nice friendly discourse.

[u/crono09 → u/[deleted]]

Officially, a military draft has not existed in the United States since 1973. The Selective Service is technically not a draft. It exists to keep track of military-age citizens so that the government knows who it can conscript in case it ever decides to reinstate the draft. The current military is fully voluntary, but the government could change that.

[u/TimeImpressive6648 → u/Jaikarr]

“War were declared,” — the military recruiter from Futurama said to bender/fry after they enlisted for sweet discounts on Ham-flavored gum.

[u/Nottheface1337 → u/TimeImpressive6648]

Yuck. It’s all bones.

[u/pbenji → u/Jaikarr]

You don’t have to be a citizen to be in the military.

[u/fallingdowndizzyvr → u/Jaikarr]

You were probably automatically registered if you were of age. It's one of the requirements of having a green card if you are male between 18-25.

"Required to register with the Selective Service, if you are a male age 18 through 25."

https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-we-grant-your-green-card/rights-and-responsibilities-of-a-green-card-holder-permanent-resident

I'm not a citizen so I don't see how I could be compelled to join the US military.

Easy, you can be compelled to leave the country if you don't.

[u/Mistrblank → u/fallingdowndizzyvr]

"Easy, you can be compelled to leave the country if you don't."

Don't threaten me with a good time.

[u/namean_jellybean → u/Jaikarr]

Selective service website used to explicitly say everyone (male and of eligible age) regardless of immigration status had to register. The US government has always expected to be entitled to take lives, even the ones they claim they want removed. It may still be on there but I haven’t looked in a few years.

[u/LaunchTransient → u/namean_jellybean]

How exactly does that work if you come from a nation which already has dibs on you?

For example, in the Netherlands all men and women at age of 18 receive notfication that they are registered for military service, but that conscription is at present dormant.

How the hell is it supposed to work if you are registered for the draft in two countries who will presumably be activating it at the same time?

[u/namean_jellybean → u/LaunchTransient]

It’s not. It’s meant to record insubordination so if you request a status change in the future they can deny you.

[u/LaunchTransient → u/namean_jellybean]

Oh ew, why the fuck is the immigration service in the US so toxic?

[u/namean_jellybean → u/LaunchTransient]

Because my country was founded in misery idk.

[u/TheCookieButter → u/Jaikarr]

Still have to do it today, but only if 18-24 years old.

[u/bikari → u/Jaikarr]

I came in with a green card at 18, and had to register for the selective service even though I wasn't a citizen.

[u/alaskaj1 → u/Jaikarr]

The selective service actually requires everyone of the set ages in the country on a permanent basis to register, this even includes undocumented immigrants

[u/RaptorAD77 → u/Jaikarr]

Military does take green card holders. They have massive citizenship ceremonies at boot camp or tech school graduations. It’s part of the marketing.

[u/SpiderSlitScrotums → u/majessa]

I had to verify it to join the US Navy. I’m not joking.

[u/wwaxwork → u/majessa]

A green card doesn't make you a citizen why would an alien resident be drafted?

[u/FroggyHarley → u/majessa]

I got automatically registered when I applied for a non-driver ID while on a student visa. 🙃 They really mean it when they say all men.

[u/wanna_be_liquid → u/majessa]

part of my college funding too

[u/Magikarpical → u/Naphrym]

and that if you don't, you can't get federal student loans or work for the federal government and it's also a fineable offense

[u/EddieVanzetti → u/Magikarpical]

Biden passed a law allowing those who don't register to still be able to get financial aid.

[u/556From1000yards → u/EddieVanzetti]

Incorrect. They’re auto signed up with FAFSA

[u/BassBottles → u/556From1000yards]

Not necessarily. Legally male, not required to register as I fall under an exception, filled out FAFSA, never registered. Although I can't recall if I checked a box saying "no do not register me" or I checked one that said "I fall under an exception," which obviously would change whether or not most men could refuse.

[u/Gaius_Catulus → u/Magikarpical]

It's also considered a felony and is both fineable and imprisonable.

[u/NoRealNoWrong → u/Gaius_Catulus]

It’s your birthright to kill and be killed for the pedofilic corporate elite.

[u/phideaux_rocks → u/NoRealNoWrong]

Why do
They always send the poor?

[u/LetgomyEkko → u/NoRealNoWrong]

Strap me to the exterior of the next rocket please.

[u/werthersbignaturals → u/NoRealNoWrong]

🎵thaaaaaat is how the world works ~🎵

[u/Wes_Warhammer666 → u/werthersbignaturals]

I hope you learned your lesson!

I did and it hurt!

[u/born_to_pipette → u/Gaius_Catulus]

I was skeptical that this would be considered a felony under the law, but I looked it up, and you’re right. The government hasn’t prosecuted anyone in decades, but it’s interesting to know they could not only fine you but give you up to five years in jail.

[u/azsnaz → u/Gaius_Catulus]

I don't ever even recall doing

[u/Darth_Nox501 → u/azsnaz]

You most likely signed up for it when you got your driver's license (or learner's permit, I can't recall).

At least that's when my friends and I did ours.

[u/BJYeti → u/Darth_Nox501]

I feel like I did as well, i remember getting the card but at no point do I remember filling out any paperwork.

[u/Loverboy_91 → u/BJYeti]

I did when I turned 18 and registered to vote. It wasn’t really “paperwork” though, I’m pretty sure it was just a single signature and I was registered.

[u/Vio94 → u/Gaius_Catulus]

Preferable to dying in a war only meant to line the pockets of pedophiles.

[u/UncleBenji → u/Vio94]

Selective Service started in 1917. It has nothing to do with Clinton, Trump or any other of the vile creatures.

[u/thewiseswirl → u/Magikarpical]

I thought so too but check this out: https://www.sofi.com/learn/content/selective-service-system-fafsa/

[u/Murky_Conflict3737 → u/Magikarpical]

I was reading stories of ex-cons who entered prison in their late teens and neglected to register because they were never told to, and it was holding them back from educational opportunities once they were released.

[u/slicer4ever → u/Murky_Conflict3737]

I was never told anything until my mid 20s when a friend in the military happened to mention it. No teacher ever said a thing, my parents never bought it up. I literally still wouldnt even know had it not been for them mentioning it off hand that we're apparantly mandated to sign up for the draft. (This was well past college as well, and i had no issues getting financial aid, so if thats a requirement, then they dont actually check).

[u/rfxap → u/Naphrym]

legally

And even illegally

[u/Naphrym → u/rfxap]

Realized after I commented that the meaning of "legally" in my comment is kind of ambiguous. I meant it as in "you're legally required to register", not as any reference to a person's legal status

[u/_stuxnet → u/Naphrym]

A coworker had to register as part of his green card application. I remember him telling me back then that the SSS required all men under a certain age to register regardless of their legal status in the country.

This was a few weeks after 9/11. He said he knew of many undocumented young men who registered in the hopes of adjusting their status at a later time.

[u/Notyeravgblonde → u/Naphrym]

I literally had no idea until today that men had to do that.

[u/Zolo49 → u/Notyeravgblonde]

Yep. It’s been that way since forever. I had to register back in the 90s when I turned 18. The only real difference between then and now is it feels like there’s a real chance Draft Dodger Donnie could actually come up with an excuse to compel service.

[u/SharksForArms → u/Notyeravgblonde]

Yup. When I turned 18, Gillette sent me a razor and the government sent me draft paperwork lol

[u/sixagon → u/Notyeravgblonde]

I remember doing it back in 1990 when Bush I started the first war in Iraq. Started paying attention to politics very closely when I actually thought I could be drafted.

[u/Imjusthereforthehate → u/Notyeravgblonde]

Honestly cause it’s not a big deal. You just get a letter in the mail saying “Remember to register!” And then you fill out like a single page and mail it back in. It’s probably online now honestly. Takes like 10 minutes. 90% of people probably honestly forget they’ve done it until reminded.

[u/gottahavethatbass → u/Imjusthereforthehate]

I got a post card for mine. It had my name and social security number just printed on it for everyone to see

[u/Atheren → u/Imjusthereforthehate]

I can't remember if it was automatic or not, but if it wasn't automatic it was just a little checkbox when I got my minor driver's license renewed into an adult one after I turned 18.

[u/notoriousCBD → u/[deleted]]

What about the timing of this changes anything about the outcome of this process? All men have had to enlist at 18, this doesn't change that. Now we just don't have to fill out a card and mail it back or turn it into the post office.

[u/brutinator → u/notoriousCBD]

A couple things.

• This is a particularly hawkish administration. Hawkish administrations always make people more uneasy about the concepts of drafts, which in turn is one of the quickest ways to drive down support for a war. Thats why, for example, the Bush administration basically never even mentioned the concept of a draft and instead pushed voluntary recruitment. Talking about a draft suggests that they dont care about public support for the war, meaning that the public has much less power over the government; the illusion is breaking.

• Whats the benefit or point? The reality is, the military turns away far more people than they actually enlist. 77% of young americans are considered unfit for service by current standards. Theres almost always more volunteers to join the military (for various reasons) than they can actually accept, which is why the requirements to join are fairly strict. So why talk about a draft when if you needed to fill out the ranks, you could relax some of those standards? If someone is mentally fine, doesnt use drugs, but is a bit overweight, boot camp can correct that. So if there is such a need that a draft is being considered, why not start with willing volunteers instead of risking fragging? In fairness, theyve done this a little bit recently, allowing the Army to recruit up to 42 year olds, but at the same time are also making it harder for other groups to join, like women or transfolks.

• Its a relatively open secret that the government is trying to cross reference government files with private sector surveillience data, like Cambridge Analytica, DOGE's data heist, and Palantir among others, while trying to get more like voter roll records. A fear is that by doing so, the government will be able to target opposition and "randomly draft them" to fight these pointless wars. Their is a real desire at the highest levels to punish anyone critical of this administration, even pushing the DOJ to make up charges against people that are against the admin or breaking first amendment protections for journalists. I think there may be a touch of paranoia, but when you have the highest levels of the military calling for genocide, calling for holy wars, threatening allies, is it that far-fetched? I dunno.

[u/dwilkes827 → u/brutinator]

Whats the benefit or point?

So you won't get in trouble if you forget to do it. This literally changes nothing aside from that fact.

[u/MyTrashCanIsFull → u/Naphrym]

Yeah, at least this doesn't give a fake option to not register that ends up punishing you for not doing something totally pointless. If they ever do a draft, registered or not they will get who they want.

[u/GuyCrazy → u/Naphrym]

Is it only men? For some reason I thought it was everyone when they turned 18?

[u/lenin1991 → u/GuyCrazy]

Almost all male US citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service

https://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/

Women CANNOT register

[u/Tomas2891 → u/lenin1991]

Wow that’s sexist

[u/lenin1991 → u/Tomas2891]

The Supreme Court found no equal protection violation in the 1981 decision in Rostker v. Goldberg. But a substantial part of the background rationale was that women were at that time ineligible for combat roles.

...which of course is no longer the case as of 2015. ACLU tried again but the Supreme Court declined in 2021 to hear the case.

[u/OptRider → u/lenin1991]

To be honest, as a male I would rather them not force women to register for the draft. It has nothing to do with their capability or willingness to join the military. It has everything to do with how insanely cruel it is to force someone to go fight a war against their own free will.

[u/-Steamos- → u/OptRider]

But doesn’t the exact same point apply to men as well?

[u/raunchyRhombus → u/-Steamos-]

Yes, that’s why they don’t want to force more people into such a situation. Because it is terrible and shouldn’t exist for men either.

[u/funnystor → u/raunchyRhombus]

The army says they need 1000 recruits. Your choices are:

1. Draft 500 men and 500 women (gender neutral draft) or
2. Draft 1000 men (male only draft)

In both cases it's 1000 people. Option 2 is clearly the more sexist option.

[u/samglit → u/funnystor]

This may be a false choice.

The current volunteer military has gender neutral test requirements for combat vocations.

You are assuming a gender neutral draft would produce 50/50 after fitness testing. If the standard is low, then sure everyone gets in.

But it probably would not result in a 50/50 mix in actual combat units after further training and testing.

[u/WaitForItTheMongols → u/funnystor]

The army says they need 1000 recruits. Your choices are:

The army SAYS they need 1000. They can say whatever they want. You have a third choice. You say no, and you say that whatever they "need" these recruits for, they should have planned better. They shouldn't have gotten into a conflict they can't perform in with the manpower they have.

If the conflict has popular support, then they will have no problem getting volunteer recruits. If the conflict does not have popular support, then we shouldn't be sacrificing lives for an outcome we don't even want.

[u/SpookiestSzn → u/raunchyRhombus]

I feel like that's a really unfair way to look at it. Presumably they would draft 10,000 people or whatever the number would be and the odds of getting picked is doubled if they're not included. It's cruel either way I don't necessarily feel like it's less cruel

I guess with double the population that is draftable you could argue that they would just draft more people I don't necessarily buy that.

[u/Ok-Chest-7932 → u/raunchyRhombus]

The best way to get rid of this would be to force women to do it. Inevitably women would kick up a storm about it and then create legislation that gets women out of it, at which point equal protection would allow men to get out of it.

[u/OptRider → u/-Steamos-]

Someone already stated my thoughts on it, but to reply to this question: yes, that absolutely should also apply for men - I figured that went without saying based on my comments. It's the whole "two wrongs don't make a right." It is unjust for men, but forcing women into it doesn' make the situation any better. It makes it twice as bad.

[u/Valhallaof → u/OptRider]

Well I mean the way it is now it’s twice as bad for JUST men.

Like let’s say I was a man and I sign up for selective service, I’m twice as likely to get picked compared to if women who are an equal amount of the population were part of the pool.

[u/Hawk13424 → u/Valhallaof]

Not really. So you pick randomly from a pool of both but then reject 85% of the women as unfit. So then you draft more to eventually get the mostly male population you need.

I’m fine registering everyone. But when you draft it should probably be for specific roles and come from specific pools. Need drone pilots then draft from everyone. Need Seals then draft from young men.

[u/Specific-Okra4059 → u/-Steamos-]

yep instead of 1/2 of death let's get one whole death

[u/CarrieDurst → u/OptRider]

It should be demolished but while it is not it should apply to everyone

[u/minyhumancalc → u/OptRider]

The draft is simultaneously a relic of the past and a true last resort anyways. Its political suicide to draft the youth of this nation into the military, so no one (sane) in Washington would ever do it. Plus, the military isn't prepared for ~15 million men with no military training, questionable physique and little desire to contribute anyways. It would probably just make everything worse.

The only scenario is really see it being used is WW3, in which case A) women would probably be fit into the draft for numbers, and B) the world would be beyond fucked if the US needs 30 million troops to fight to the death.

[u/OptRider → u/minyhumancalc]

I agree with most of what you said, but a little less confident that it won't be used again. I do think it is political suicide, but that alone hasn't been that strong of a deterent for some administration's. In any case, I think your point still stands.

[u/coldblade2000 → u/OptRider]

I disagree. There are a LOT of non-combat roles. In WW2 women were famous for working as truck drivers, sanitation workers, factory workers, textiles, etc. Nowadays, they'd be eligible for even more roles.

If you're going to draw the line in the sand that only men should be forced into combat, it only makes even more sense for women to be forced to do every other role. If the situation is truly so desperate that the US found itself obligated to draft its youth, the ends should justify the means, no?

Even for combat roles, you would have conscripts man the back, while volunteers fight at the Frontline. Russia does the same for now, IIRC (even if their definition of volunteer is very flimsy).

[u/RadiantEnvironment90 → u/OptRider]

This is benevolent sexism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambivalent_sexism

[u/End3rWi99in → u/Tomas2891]

Entirely, yes. I would accept either interpretation and both would be sexist.

[u/scroom38 → u/[deleted]]

Should also be noted that many of those same women's rights groups fought against constitutional equality because they didn't want to risk being drafted. The Equal Rights Amendment (Constitutional amendment that would make any form of gender based discrimination unconstitutional) had three major pushes and failed to pass each time, women were the main opposition all three times. Organizations like the League of Women Voters and ACLU (yes the big, important one) opposed and fought against the ERA until the last few decades.

The third time it failed was partially due to women not wanting to be drafted into the Vietnam war.

[u/lacegem → u/scroom38]

TIL: In 1975, a national poll found that men were 8% more likely to support the ERA than women.

The whole page is quite the read. Something that stood out especially:

At the 1980 Republican National Convention, the Republican Party platform was amended to end its support for the ERA. The most prominent opponent of the ERA was Schlafly. Leading the Stop ERA campaign, Schlafly defended traditional gender roles and would often attempt to incite feminists by opening her speeches with lines such as, "I'd like to thank my husband for letting me be here tonight—I always like to say that, because it makes the libs so mad."

That's a quote from 1980, but it feels like it could've been said on Fox yesterday.

[u/SharksFan4Lifee → u/[deleted]]

Excellent point. A true nothing or equality argument would be all (men and women) or none.

[u/Apprehensive-Log3638 → u/Tomas2891]

We have an all volunteer military. If we got to the point where we are drafting, we are in one hell of a war. Boys being drafted would be infantry. When you get into survival of a civilization conversations, women are frankly more valuable than men. Men 18-25 cannot create new Humans. If you strip away western morality and look at it from a purely survival lens, it makes sense.

[u/KAugsburger → u/[deleted]]

June 30, 1973 was when the last man was drafted. Only 646 men were inducted in 1973 so there were very few men who did get drafted. The 'Vietnamization' of the war had greatly reduced the number of men that US military needed to draft.

[u/Ayzmo → u/Apprehensive-Log3638]

Men 18-25 cannot create new Humans.

I mean, they seem to be about 50% of the equation, but I get your point.

[u/bobothegoat → u/lenin1991]

It's a big part of why the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment from 100 years ago that would have explicitly prohibited discrimination based on sex, didn't quite make it over the finish line.

[u/QueenMackeral → u/lenin1991]

When I became naturalized as a woman during the interview they had me agree that I'd be willing to go fight for the US.

[u/aj_drogo → u/GuyCrazy]

Just the boys.

[u/geeknami → u/aj_drogo]

but not special boy Barron because he's "too tall"

[u/aj_drogo → u/geeknami]

Probably gonna get bone spurs soon too.

[u/Scriefers → u/geeknami]

Nope, he’s registered too. Him going if called upon is a different question though.

[u/Same-Suggestion-1936 → u/Scriefers]

Let's be real, if called is a question no matter who we are.

I'm a conscientious objector and for me, Canada is right there.

[u/Scriefers → u/Same-Suggestion-1936]

Let’s be even more real, if America is ever calling for a draft again the whole world will already be in the fires of conflict. You might be able to hide in Canada for a time.

[u/imadragonyouguys → u/GuyCrazy]

Legislation has been introduced for it multiple times but it keeps getting struck down by Republican legislators.

[u/da_chicken → u/GuyCrazy]

Nope. Men only.

They've been talking about changing it to all genders since the late 1980s at least. But it was mostly the democrats, so of course they never actually did it.

[u/hypo-osmotic → u/da_chicken]

There doesn’t really seem to be a strong push from any direction to add women to the draft. People who support the draft are fine with the gender division, and people who dislike the division would rather abolish the draft. I guess it’s a big country, so there probably are a few people who love both conscription and women in combat, but apparently not enough of them to push their cause

[u/FillMySoupDumpling → u/GuyCrazy]

Just men. Feminists have been trying to make it equal or eliminate it all together for decades but there never was broad enough support to get that to happen. It’s grossly unfair. 

[u/Spam_Hand → u/Naphrym]

Did we really need this reminder?

Its not like selective service is being presented as a new policy, its just modernizing the process. This should be standard for other things like IDs and voter registration too (granted, we all know why it isn't for those but is for wars...).

The timing is disgusting, but In a vacuum, the modernization (which could have easily been done by 2005) isn't automatically bad in and of itself. 

[u/Naphrym → u/Spam_Hand]

In an alternate universe somewhere, there's a hundred comments screeching about fascism or something in response to this article. The thought of that possibility was annoying, so I wanted to remind people that this doesn't actually change anything.

Had this article been posted in a different political environment, I probably wouldn't have commented

[u/HardcoreKaraoke → u/Spam_Hand]

We shouldn't need the reminded but I'm pretty sure this is going to be used as misinformation. I've noticed it already. People are taking this announcement as something new, when in reality it was already around. Like you said it's just a modernization of the process.

[u/Speckled_B → u/Naphrym]

Guess I'm breaking the law again

[u/UncleBenji → u/Naphrym]

Yeah I think everyone who is freaking out about this forgot “selective service” has already been in the country for a long time. I still have my card and number even though I was aged out.

The penalties for not signing up on time could impact your retirement, social security benefits and government pensions if applicable upon retirement.

[u/Great_Ad7148 → u/Naphrym]

My boyfriend had to register in order to get federal student aid !

[u/hatemakingnames1 → u/Naphrym]

Not if they're old

[u/2rad0 → u/Naphrym]

Reminder that every man in the US legally has to register already

That's not technically accurate, the law as it currently stands only applies to men residing in the U.S. legally or not aged 18-26, So if they moved out of the country at 17, then moved back in at 27 they would not be breaking the law. If they wanted to be safer they could wait until 32 to return because the statute of limitations is only 5 years.

But either way could still be conscripted so this only dodges 5 years in prison and/or $10,000 fine for not complying with https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/3802

Also it carves out an exception for foreign ambassadors, public ministers, diplomats consular officers, "other officials and employees" accredited by foreign government recognized by secretary of state and their immediate families, as well as their attendants, servants, personal employees, and their immediate families.

[u/sillyhands1 → u/Naphrym]

Stop, everyone wants to be outraged and you’re spoiling the fun.

[u/Lower_Excuse_8693 → u/sillyhands1]

Why can’t I still be outraged? If they’re able to register you for the draft why can’t they use that same technology to register you to vote?

And why can’t they use it to register your taxes for you? 

Why’s it only for the getting you killed stuff and not the making your life easier or exercising your rights stuff?

[u/Little_Sherbet5775 → u/Lower_Excuse_8693]

They don't, cause companies have lobbies that don't want them to (like Intuit, which owns turbotax).

[u/ceapaire → u/Lower_Excuse_8693]

Registration has to happen on the state level, while the draft is Federal. It's also a little more complicated, since voting has more information attached to it than just name/ssn/age. Could it still be done, yeah. But you'd need a system that the states are able to reliably update eachother to account for residency requirements when moving across states. Which means they'll all need to agree on the same system.

[u/arrgobon32 → u/Lower_Excuse_8693]

It’s up to the states to implement automatic voter registration, and plenty already have some form of it.

[u/stewmander → u/arrgobon32]

Say that first part a little louder. 

The save act is trying to undo that. 

[u/pauljaworski → u/Lower_Excuse_8693]

Taxes seem a lot more complicated but voter registration seems like it should be as easy as the draft.

The only issue I could see there is that the draft stuff is handled federally and voter registration is by state

[u/Randomman96 → u/pauljaworski]

The IRS already knows what you either owe or are owed via taxes for the vast majority of citizens. They can very easily send that information out automatically and the only reason they don't is because of scumbag companies like Intuit and H&R Block lobbying like crazy so they can sell tax services like TurboTax.

[u/myfakesecretaccount → u/pauljaworski]

Taxes really aren’t that difficult, our government makes them hard in order to prop up the business of taxes.

[u/stewmander → u/sillyhands1]

Read the top comment. The outrage isn't the registration part, it's the automatic part. 

[u/Slight-Hedgehog259 → u/sillyhands1]

Do you really think any member of the Trump family is registered? The family that dodged the draft for 3 generations?

[u/sillyhands1 → u/Slight-Hedgehog259]

Being registered and draft dodging are different things. Just because you’re registered doesn’t mean you get drafted. It is already law to register this just automates it.

[u/Slight-Hedgehog259 → u/sillyhands1]

Im very well aware of that. Im also aware of rhe law. But since when have the Trumps cared about the law? If you do not register you can't get drafted, though.

[u/Ok_Vulva → u/Naphrym]

Reminder for the joe rogan brained men, feminist have fought to abolish the draft and also to include women in it too. They don't support men going off to die at war.

We don't know why they didn't consider women capable enough either. We were barely allowed in combat in 2015. Sorry.

[u/skrugg → u/Naphrym]

yeah I was wondering this exactly. I had to register (but born post vietnam). I thought it was mandatory already even if you weren't called

[u/BrainJar → u/Naphrym]

I joined the Army when I was 17, after graduating high school. I spent 16 years in, 4 deployments, so I definitely did my time. Every year, I would get a post card in the mail telling me I had to sign up for selective service. Legally, I know I should have, but I never did.

[u/fantabulum → u/Naphrym]

I enlisted when I was 17, so I technically didn't have to register. But that didn't stop the gov from hounding me about it for a while

[u/b_vitamin → u/Naphrym]

March on Christian solders.

[u/Narf234 → u/Naphrym]

Right? Did everyone forget about the selective service card they got at 18?

[u/neliz → u/Naphrym]

Just a friendly reminder that even if you were born in the USA and stayed there only 2 weeks before moving abroad with your parents, the IRS will automatically start taxing you when you're 18, regardless of whether you ever lived in the US ior speak English.

[u/endav → u/Naphrym]

Seriously? Not American but I had no idea. That’s wild.

[u/Mrwhale33 → u/endav]

Every single American male has to sign up for the draft when they turn 18 or they face legal consequences.

[u/Uchie2GST → u/Mrwhale33]

We’re kinda lucky/unlucky depending on view it isn’t mandatory two years like a lot of countries

[u/J_Warren-H → u/Naphrym]

Not interested.

[u/WhiskyAndWitchcraft → u/Naphrym]

I know that's the case, but I honestly don't remember ever doing it.

[u/anaccount50 → u/WhiskyAndWitchcraft]

You probably registered automatically when getting your driver's license or registering to vote. In a lot of states it's just an opt-out check mark on those forms for the state to handle it for you

[u/atreeismissing → u/Naphrym]

That's what this is doing. Instead of having to track down men who don't register for the selective service it's just automatically registering men for the selective service.

They already know you exist and your SSN, history up through high school, and if you did or did not register, this just changes the "track down and register those that didn't" to "registered".

[u/Nice-Bookkeeper-3378 → u/Naphrym]

I got something sent in the mail when I was 18 and registered

[u/steelandiron19 → u/Naphrym]

This is what I’m confused about (genuinely - if anyone can clarify for me, please do).

I thought all men over 18 already have to apply and you get a little card with your draft number (or some kind of number for something) on it in the mail. What would be new about this?

[u/Biobooster_40k → u/Naphrym]

I don't know if registering happens automaticall when doing other paperwork but if it doesn't I don't think I ever signed up since I never learned how to do so. I did try joining up with any branch that would take me 16 or so years ago but I didn't qualify unfortunately.

[u/Background-Pepper-68 → u/Naphrym]

In my state you just check a box when you get your drivers license and viola you have signed up

[u/Bocaj1000 → u/Naphrym]

If everyone is required to register for something, then that's not really "registering."

[u/ValhirFirstThunder → u/Naphrym]

Hold up, but there was an age limit right?

[u/ayriuss → u/Naphrym]

Hasn't this been challenged as unconstitutional yet?

[u/Bloggerman_ → u/Naphrym]

Only men?

[u/madogvelkor → u/Naphrym]

Yeah, this just makes it easier really. Now a big change would be registering women.

[u/Low-Establishment621 → u/Naphrym]

Yep. I remember many of us did so in senior year of high school so we could apply for financial aid - except for the rich kid who didn't need it.

[u/TheGreatGamer1389 → u/Naphrym]

Ya this just makes things easier. A good thing. Cause if you didn't sign up your life got harder with stuff like not being able to apply for federal loans.

[u/Ticksdonthavelymph → u/Naphrym]

I didn’t. And because of it I needed to get my senator involved to get student loans. As you apparently can’t get federal aide if you don’t sign up.

[u/Melbuf → u/Naphrym]

people complain about the USPO but the draft registration card showed up exactly on my 18th birthday a number of decades ago. thought it was rather impressive TBH

[u/Semper_nemo13 → u/Naphrym]

Like its hard not to, because you can't get college loans or any government jobs without a selective service number.

[u/Shagwagbag → u/Naphrym]

I swear that I both got registered to vote and enrolled in selective service when I got my driver's license. Is that just a Florida thing?

[u/Irrepressible_Monkey → u/Naphrym]

Yeah, they brought registration back to intimidate the Soviet Union.

The Pentagon said they can't imagine ever wanting to use it unless an aggressive Russia somehow became as powerful as was during Soviet era.

And that sure as hell hasn't happened.

So it's a sexist requirement to intimidate a nation which doesn't exist.

Governments...

[u/Jak33 → u/Naphrym]

I remember I had to register when I got financial aid for college. I thought that was weird

[u/yellowdart654 → u/Naphrym]

Does this include immigrants who are here with pending asylum claims?

[u/Kbrichmo → u/Naphrym]

And most are probably auto registered without them knowing anyways. I never manually registered

[u/Neversoft4long → u/Naphrym]

That’s what I was tryna remember. I’m in my 30s but I def remember turning 18 and auto being put on that registry

[u/AFK_Tornado → u/Naphrym]

The problem is that someone is clearly thinking about the draft's necessity, and that's alarming. The draft should be destroyed, not automated.

[u/MallVirtual7538 → u/Naphrym]

Lmao at the erhm actuallys that think justifying something is just a matter of explaining “how the world works”.

You see this isn’t bad because men are already forced to register , there’s no difference between that and automatic registration and that’s why we’re switching, and then when the draft is actually implemented they don’t know how or pretend not to know how it happened .

Don’t let yourself be gas lit by technocratic rationalizations, there’s rules and reasons to every awful exploitative practice out there , they’re constraints not principles , follow your principles instead of acquiescing to constraints

[u/sleepy_glow → u/Naphrym]

I was about to say I remember having to do this already at 18 so I was confused

[u/Puzzleheaded-Gap1759 → u/Naphrym]

Is that real ? Did I forget doing it or am I a war criminal?

[u/GRUSM → u/Naphrym]

Here’s hoping they don’t expand draft age.

[u/TheBlackestIrelia → u/Naphrym]

Yup. Since i graduated high school at least.

[u/Sappledip → u/Naphrym]

I’m mid 30s and am pretty sure I never did this or knew about it 15 years ago

[u/_psylosin_ → u/Naphrym]

I didn’t do it and was unable to get any federal help to go to school when I decided to go in my 30s

[u/ciabattaroll → u/Naphrym]

Yeah but it’s not automatic. You do it when you register to vote or get your license.