There is no way an objective person can look at the fallout of SB1 and other measures taken along the line and not agree that reducing the voting power of certain blocs was the intent.
Most people's voter registration is tied to their DL#, and then some to the SSN. But people age and eventually stop driving. They surrender their DL, and can be issued a Election Identification Certificate. Now their DL# was unique to them, but instead of letting them keep that and issue it as an EIC, they issue a whole new EIC, which then makes the DL# invalid. Why? Why not just let them keep the same number? Makes no sense, unless you are hoping to interfere with their ability to vote. Fortunately the EIC isn't a widely used instrument.
That's just an example, and their logic behind these moves is shallow. Same as the logic on making it illegal for County Election Administrators to send out unrequested VBM applications. Honestly, they should be the only ones sending them, requested or not. If the state wants to make this ridiculous rule that people have to apply to VBM every single year, then they should make that as painless as possible and at the same time keep things standardized, less confusing and more controlled instead of the parties and every jackleg candidate sending out apps of various look.
But no, they don't. And they did it to squelch a lot of the votes in the big counties. And it will work, for the primaries.
I'm just hoping it pisses enough of those who have been victimized by this shady shit to make sure they get registered to VBM by the general.
Here's another thing. When you apply to VBM there's a little area where you choose which elections you want to vote in. You choose the wrong one, and you're not voting in the general. Just more smoke and mirrors.