It seems some people are bristling at this remark because they wrongly take it to mean “if you use this phrase, then you are racist.“
That’s not what “racially coded” means here.
It means that the phrase is going to conjure up racial associations for some/many listeners •regardless of the speaker’s intent•, and that’s a thing to be aware of when hearing or using the phrase.
https://hachyderm.io/@inthehands/112763060511361803
Yes, people are casting votes without having much good information about the election, and yes, “low information voter” is a useful phrase for that.
But when a Black person tells me that phrase has a racial coding — something I’m likely not to perceive myself — then that’s evidence enough to cue me to be careful how I use the phrase.
If I •do• use the phrase, I’ll try to make sure to actively push back against hidden racial associations people make. That might mean, for example, •explicitly• stating that “low information voter” includes white people.
That there is (as I understand it, we’re all learning here) the difference between being “not a racist” and being actively •anti-racist•
I highly appreciate @JessTheUnstill bringing voter suppression into the chat. Even though that’s a distinct topic, it’s always one worth shouting from the rooftops at the slightest excuse:
https://infosec.exchange/@JessTheUnstill/112763317457658335