Done gone and went a-votin’

[blogdiva@mastodon.social]

@Nerde @GayDeceiver after the chads fiasco, Dubya went on record saying he wanted Texas voting system in all 50 states.

[aud@fire.asta.lgbt]

@GayDeceiver@mstdn.social huuuh... for those of us not in Texas... how does... having a Republican voting side vs. a Democractic voting side... work?? Or exist?

[markasser@beige.party]

@aud @GayDeceiver I am also keen to know what all that's about.

[gaydeceiver@mstdn.social]

@MarkAsser @aud they can’t get outright disallow people from voting, but they can divide the vote. Texas is weird.

[temptoetiam@eldritch.cafe]

@GayDeceiver from your lips...

[linglass@vmst.io]

@aud @GayDeceiver It's for a primary election. So you're voting for who will be on your party's ballot for the later election. You only get to shape one side's ballot at this stage.

[temptoetiam@eldritch.cafe]

@MarkAsser @aud @GayDeceiver weird primary rules i guess?
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/03/nx-s1-5734515/texas-primary-election-results-james-talarico-jasmine-crockett-john-cornyn-ken-paxton

[ericbono@exquisite.social]

@GayDeceiver

Hell, yes! Thank you!

[pixelpusher220@dmv.community]

@aud @GayDeceiver I *think* it's somewhat related to the state deciding not to conduct them so the parties are doing it, each hiring their own workers.

I don't know but read something along those lines

[karendorman@mastodon.sdf.org]

@LingLass @aud @GayDeceiver
To continue the previous question. What does 'shaping a ballot" mean? (Canadian here)

[linglass@vmst.io]

@KarenDorman @aud @GayDeceiver There are several democratic contenders running for governor, and for state senator, etc. Once this round is determined, it will decide who runs against the winner of the Republican primary. So we're picking the candidates for November. (as well as a lot of local judges.)

[linglass@vmst.io]

@KarenDorman @aud @GayDeceiver The Texas US Senate seat is particularly exciting this round. The top two democratic candidates have had a lot of national press https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/texas-primary-us-senate/

[linglass@vmst.io]

@KarenDorman @aud @GayDeceiver Like (groping for a sports metaphor) early stages of a bracket.

[baronvonj@mas.to]

@GayDeceiver
Wait, your precinct physically segregates the primary voting by party? We tell the clerk which party and receive a blank ballot, but have one pool of machines to feed the ballot into (and then print out the completed ballot which we can read to confirm before submitting it).

[karendorman@mastodon.sdf.org]

@LingLass @aud @GayDeceiver
Thanks! that clarifies it.

[baronvonj@mas.to]

@blogdiva
Well the electronic system used in Texas after that election (eSlate) isn't even used here any more. We now have machines.thay just fill out a blank ballot with human-readable text and machine-readable codes, so we can verify it before submitting it, while still being able to rally them quickly.
@Nerde @GayDeceiver

[count_01@mastodon.social]

@temptoetiam @MarkAsser @aud @GayDeceiver That's how most primaries work; the "open" primary free-for-all is the "weird" way.

[eltonfc@bertha.social]

@KarenDorman
In a very simplified and straightforward manner, people are voting, within each party, who will be the candidate for that party.

So if Moe, Larry and Curly are democrats and they all want to be THE democrat candidate for president, people affiliated with the party vote which one they want to be the candidate in the next election.

@LingLass @aud @GayDeceiver

[temptoetiam@eldritch.cafe]

@count_01 @MarkAsser @aud @GayDeceiver thanks for the precision! (everything seems weird seen from Europe :p)

[lor@goingdark.social]

@MarkAsser @aud @GayDeceiver in some states you need to pick a primary ballot… dem or gop. this is what splits the room so to speak… the line for the gop ballot was slow.