Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) on Sunday criticized the Department of Justice's (DOJ) lawsuit against the state over the purging of voter rolls.
“To be clear, this is not a purge.,” Youngkin told anchor Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” about the deletion of voter rolls.
“This is based on a law signed into effect in 2006 by then-Democratic Governor Tim Kaine,” Youngkin added, which determines whether people who identify as non-citizens can vote in the state. He explained that there is a “personalized process”.
The governor said if voters do not accept citizenship, they will be removed from the rolls.
Earlier this month, the Department of Justice announced a lawsuit against the state of Virginia for purging its voter rolls. The department said Virginia officials violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by challenging the eligibility of voters too close to the election.
“As required by the National Voter Registration Act, officials across the country should be mindful of the law's clear and unequivocal limitations on organized list maintenance efforts within 90 days after an election,” the Office of Civil Rights Judiciary said. Assistant Secretary Kristen Clark said. , said.
In August, Youngkin signed an executive order to verify “daily” updates to voter lists. The update featured “Comparison”.[ing] A “list of individuals identified as noncitizens” was added “to the existing list of registered voters” by the state Department of Transportation.
Local registrars were then required to contact the challenged voters and inform them that unless they “confirmed their citizenship” within 14 days, their charges were “pending revocation.”
However, the Department of Justice announced that some voter registrations in Virginia were canceled as a result of this process.
“And 25 days before the election — last week — the Department of Justice decided to file a lawsuit after this law, which has been in place for 18 years by Democratic and Republican governors, is a threat to Americans and Virginians. I believe that's why I'm wondering what the Department of Justice is up to,” Youngkin said in an appearance on “Fox News Sunday.”
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
