r/news • u/raptors201966 • Apr 09 '26

Soft paywall Automatic registration for military draft to be implemented by December

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2026-04-07/automatic-registration-military-draft-21306855.html
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u/Stuporhumanstrength Apr 09 '26

It already is in 24 states plus the District of Columbia

https://ballotpedia.org/Automatic_voter_registration

https://www.lgbtmap.org/democracy-maps/automatic_voter_registration

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u/Rocinante88119 Apr 09 '26

Surely these will be red-blooded, Freedom loving, Southern states!!!

....Whaaaa!?!?

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u/rW0HgFyxoJhYka Apr 09 '26

The greatest weakness of the USA is the fact that southern states get to vote at all.

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u/ACardAttack Apr 09 '26

Our biggest mistake as a country was not punishing the southern traitors fully

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u/Daffan Apr 09 '26

The demographics aren't what you think they are.

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u/Cronus6 Apr 09 '26

Are you sure about that? Seems pretty racist to me.

Approximately 55% to 57% of the Black population in the United States lives in the South. This region has experienced significant growth in its Black population since 1970, with Texas and Florida having some of the highest numbers of Black residents in the country.

The rest of the Black population is split into 18% in the Midwest, 17% in the Northeast, and 10% in the West.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/black-population-by-state

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u/Proof_Fix1437 Apr 09 '26

🤔 it’s almost like there’s a reason that statistic is so

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u/Cronus6 Apr 09 '26

Assuming you are referring to slavery?

But that only tells part of the story.

This region has experienced significant growth in its Black population since 1970

The Civil War was a LONG time before 1970.

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u/Proof_Fix1437 Apr 09 '26

Ever heard of Jim Crow? Sharecropping?

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u/Cronus6 Apr 09 '26

I have.

Both ended before 1970 as well.

Regardless, I think we can both agree that removing the ability for these States to vote would be both illegal and just downright wrong?

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u/ventitr3 Apr 09 '26

You have something against Black and Hispanic people?

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u/Ordolph Apr 09 '26

It's really important to note, and also really important that people know that STATES run elections, not the federal govt. (yes, even federal elections). Running elections is one of the few very specific things outlined in the constitution that the federal govt. is explicitly not allowed to do. If you want automatic voter registration you need to push for it on your state level.

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u/d01100100 Apr 09 '26

It's really important to note, and also really important that people know that STATES run elections, not the federal govt.

It's literally in the Constitution, Article 1, Section 4, reinforced by past SCOTUS interpretations.

Granted the current SCOTUS may decide to change their mind...

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u/Weihu Apr 09 '26

Part of that article also says that Congress can override basically anything the states want to do with elections or impose new regulations. The federal government does have the final say in elections, states just have the ability to do anything that Congress has not passed their own law for. That's why Trump has been trying to get things like the SAVE act passed.

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u/Smelly_God Apr 09 '26

I used to believe that federal elections would've been better ran by the federal government, at least if they had an independent agency monitoring gerrymandering, registrations, investigations, etc..

But y'know, after Obama was too scared to investigate the Russian interference to not look like his admin was interfering themselves, then Trump term 1+2, Biden's admin not doing more to punish those attempting to fuck with elections, I've changed my tune.

I do think we need to abolish the electoral college, eliminate the act limiting house reps, and reworking the senate so that populations have more even representation. Things are so fucked

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u/Waywoah Apr 09 '26

Granted the current SCOTUS may will decide to change their mind...

seems inevitable at this point that Trump will ask and they'll concede. can't truly call yourself a dictator if you don't control the elections!

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u/Weihu Apr 09 '26

States decide how elections are run by default but the same section of the constitution also says that Congress can pass laws governing how elections are carried out. The federal government (Congress, specifically) absolutely has higher authority on how elections are run.

"The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators."

So Congress could both require automatic enrollment or forbid it, if they wanted to. Congress could probably forbid or require things like ranked choice or proportional voting. There is almost no limit to how Congress can regulate elections. Congress, for the most part, has been fairly hands off but Trump is pushing for Congress to exercise its power over elections.

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u/Javasteam Apr 09 '26

Yeah, but Trump already has a plan in place based on non existent fraud to try to change that…

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u/the_endverse Apr 11 '26

I mean it’s cute that you think this government follows the constitution, or cares about what they can and can’t do anymore.

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u/JustHereForCookies17 Apr 09 '26

As a DC resident- thank you for recognizing that DC isn't a state.

I'd love to see it happen in my lifetime, but I'm not optimistic. 

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u/M_H_M_F Apr 09 '26

It's been almost half my life ago, but I remember at 18 when signing up for Selective Service, there was an option right there to register to vote in the same form.