DOJ Sues Virginia, Governor Youngkin Over Removal of Non-Citizens from Voter Rolls

Oct 11, 2024, 11:23 PM

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against the state of Virginia, accusing it of violating federal law by removing voters from its rolls within 90 days of a federal election. The DOJ alleges that Virginia's actions contravene the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), which prohibits systematic purges of voter registrations close to an election. The lawsuit challenges an executive order issued in August by Governor Glenn Youngkin that directed daily updates of voter rolls to eliminate alleged non-citizens. The DOJ contends that these actions have resulted in the removal of over 6,000 voters, including 6,303 non-citizens, potentially disenfranchising eligible voters ahead of the November elections. The DOJ accuses Virginia of violating the NVRA in three ways: removing voters beyond the 90-day pre-election cutoff, disproportionately targeting naturalized citizens, and requiring voters to provide burdensome additional proof of citizenship. Governor Youngkin and Republican officials have criticized the lawsuit as politically motivated, arguing that the state is enforcing laws to ensure election integrity by removing non-citizens from voter rolls.