The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Friday against Virginia's election officials, alleging that the state's removal of names from voter rolls violated federal election law.
The lawsuit filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria alleges that an executive order issued by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in August requiring daily updates of voter lists to remove ineligible voters is not a federal law. It is said to be in violation of.
The National Voter Registration Act requires a 90-day “quiet period” before elections to maintain voter rolls.
“Congress adopted the National Voter Registration Act's quiet period limitations to prevent error-prone 11th-hour efforts to disenfranchise eligible voters,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Clark. stated in a statement.
“The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, and the Department of Justice continues to work to ensure the rights of eligible voters are protected.”
A similar lawsuit was filed earlier this week by a coalition of immigrant rights groups and the League of Women Voters.
The Justice Department argues in its lawsuit that quiet period provisions reduce the risk that mismanagement of registration lists could disenfranchise voters by allowing sufficient time to address errors before an election. said.
On Aug. 7, 90 days before the Nov. 5 federal election, Yonkin ordered the state Department of Transportation to systematically remove people “who cannot prove their citizenship” from voter registration lists across the state. A formal process has been established.
Virginia election officials use data from the Department of Land Transportation to determine a voter's citizenship and eligibility, according to the filing.
The lawsuit alleges that DMV data may be inaccurate or outdated, but the agency requires additional checks to confirm a person's purported noncitizen status before mailing a notice of voter disqualification. No measures have been taken.
Youngkin said in a statement Friday that state officials are properly enforcing state law that requires noncitizens to be removed from voter rolls.
“Virginians and Americans will see this for exactly what it is: a desperate attempt to attack the legitimacy of elections in the crucible of American democracy, the commonwealth,” Youngkin said of the Justice Department's lawsuit. ” he said.
“With the support of the Attorney General, we will continue to defend the common-sense measures we are legally required to take, using every means available to us.Virginia’s elections are safe and fair. , we will not stand idly by as this politically motivated action attempts to interfere in our elections,” Youngkin said.
Conservatives across the country are challenging the legitimacy of mass voter registration ahead of the Nov. 5 election.
The newly formed Republican National Committee under the Trump administration is also involved in efforts to challenge voter rolls before the November election.
