RICHMOND, Va. — The U.S. Justice Department has initiated legal action against Virginia, its State Board of Elections, and the state’s Commissioner of Elections. This lawsuit targets Virginia’s method of removing voters from its electoral rolls, an action deemed too close to election day and potentially in violation of federal law.
The legal challenge claims that Virginia’s current voter roll maintenance program violates the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. According to the Act, such systematic purging should not occur within 90 days of an election to prevent any undue impact on voter participation.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke emphasized the importance of adherence to these legal constraints, indicating that election officials nationwide must comply with the Act’s guidelines, which prohibit large-scale list maintenance shortly before elections.
In response, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin described the lawsuit as an unwarranted attack on the state’s election integrity. He defended the voter roll maintenance program, referring to a 2006 law enacted under then-Governor Tim Kaine, a Democrat, which mandates the removal of noncitizens from voter lists. This process, he noted, begins when individuals themselves declare non-citizenship during voter registration.
The controversy has sparked further legal battles, with a coalition comprising immigrant-rights groups and the Virginia League of Women Voters filing a separate lawsuit earlier in the week. This suit accuses Gov. Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares of executing a voter purge that risks disenfranchising legitimate voters and sowing confusion among the electorate as election day looms.
Clarke reiterated concerns about the timing of the voter registration cancellations. She warned that such actions pose a severe risk of removing eligible voters from the rolls, thereby potentially leading to electoral confusion and undermining voter confidence.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the implications of these conflicting views on Virginia’s voter registration practices remain to be seen. The cases highlight ongoing national debates over voter list maintenance practices and their impact on electoral integrity and voter rights.