
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Virginia, challenging Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s recent actions to remove noncitizens and other ineligible voters from the state’s rolls. The lawsuit comes just weeks before the November election, sparking a heated debate over voter integrity and federal election law.
Youngkin’s Executive Order 35, signed in August, directs election officials to maintain accurate voter rolls by removing noncitizens. The DOJ, however, argues that this action violated the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which prevents states from making significant changes to voter lists within 90 days of an election. The DOJ claims that Virginia’s actions may cause confusion and disenfranchise voters.
🚨 BREAKING: In perhaps a sign that Democrats view Virginia as "in play" for Trump, Biden-Harris DOJ files lawsuit against Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration for purging ILLEGAL ALIENS from the voter rolls. pic.twitter.com/ECPKODphCr
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 11, 2024
Youngkin has fiercely criticized the lawsuit, accusing the Biden-Harris administration of attempting to interfere in Virginia’s election process. He labeled the lawsuit a desperate attempt to undermine election legitimacy, saying that Virginia’s efforts to clean up its voter rolls are in line with laws designed to protect election security.
The Biden-Harris administration, on the other hand, insists that it is simply ensuring that voter rights are protected. Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division stated that the NVRA provides clear guidelines for how and when voter rolls can be updated, and Virginia’s actions violated those rules by making systematic changes too close to Election Day.
This lawsuit isn’t the first of its kind. The DOJ also recently filed a similar case against Alabama, which sought to remove illegal immigrants from voter rolls ahead of the upcoming election. The Biden administration claims these efforts could result in eligible voters being mistakenly removed, which could impact voter turnout.
@SpeakerJohnson @GlennYoungkin This lawsuit has nothing to do with non-citizens and was filed by DOJ because Youngkin waited until the last minute to do a big purge of his voter rolls. It's federal law that you can’t do that within 90 days of an election. this is so that people… pic.twitter.com/1235qTMYav
— caring 💙🇺🇸🌈✌🏻 (@caringguy1957) October 12, 2024
Youngkin has vowed to continue fighting for election integrity, framing this lawsuit as part of a broader battle over election security. With the election just around the corner, the outcome of this legal battle could influence how other states approach voter roll maintenance in future elections.