Texas doesn’t require registration in a party to vote in primaries, so the vast majority of Texans don’t bother to affiliate, and so the proportions of affiliated voters isn’t really very meaningful. More than anything, Texas is a non-voting state. It has some of the lowest voter turnout in the country, which absolutely benefits and is encouraged by the conservatives currently in power. Those who do vote tend to vote straight ticket either based on habit, perceived identity, and social pressures, or out of zealous rage over minimizing taxes at any cost.
While there is tons of voter suppression, gerrymandering, and other ugly political tactics at play, you can’t discount the immeasurable ignorance of the voters. Yes, there are millions of democrats and progressives in the four main metro areas, but between the Bible thumpers, the suburban NIMBYS, the rednecks, and the flocking tech bros that make up the rest of the population, Texas is definitely still an actual red state.
Texas doesn’t require registration in a party to vote in primaries, so the vast majority of Texans don’t bother to affiliate, and so the proportions of affiliated voters isn’t really very meaningful. More than anything, Texas is a non-voting state. It has some of the lowest voter turnout in the country, which absolutely benefits and is encouraged by the conservatives currently in power. Those who do vote tend to vote straight ticket either based on habit, perceived identity, and social pressures, or out of zealous rage over minimizing taxes at any cost.
While there is tons of voter suppression, gerrymandering, and other ugly political tactics at play, you can’t discount the immeasurable ignorance of the voters. Yes, there are millions of democrats and progressives in the four main metro areas, but between the Bible thumpers, the suburban NIMBYS, the rednecks, and the flocking tech bros that make up the rest of the population, Texas is definitely still an actual red state.