The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the state of Virginia, accusing it of violating federal law by purging voter registrations within 90 days of an upcoming election. The legal challenge is centered on a controversial executive order signed by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin in August, which ordered the Department of Elections to conduct “daily updates” to the voter rolls. These updates included the removal of individuals who could not confirm their citizenship within 14 days of being notified.
The Justice Department claims that this practice violates the National Voter Registration Act’s quiet period restrictions, which prohibit systematic voter list removals during the critical 90-day period leading up to an election. The law is designed to prevent disenfranchisement and ensure that voters are not unfairly removed from the rolls close to Election Day.
“The actions taken by Virginia risk disenfranchising eligible voters and create unnecessary confusion for the electorate,” said Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “The law specifically prohibits such last-minute removals to protect voters from mistakes and prevent the chaos that often arises from eleventh-hour efforts to cleanse voter rolls.”
The department is now seeking injunctive relief, asking the court to block Virginia from further purging its voter lists and to restore the rights of those impacted to vote freely and without obstruction in the November 5th election.
Governor Youngkin responded strongly to the lawsuit, dismissing it as politically motivated. He described the federal intervention as an attempt to interfere in the electoral process. “With the support of our Attorney General, we will defend these common-sense, legally mandated actions with every resource available to us,” Youngkin stated.
The lawsuit comes at a time when non-citizen voting is a hot-button issue nationwide. Republican candidates and lawmakers, including presidential hopeful Donald Trump, have expressed concerns about non-citizen participation in elections, despite it being illegal under federal law. Trump called the DOJ’s lawsuit an “unconstitutional and illegal attack on America’s democracy.”
The DOJ’s lawsuit highlights the potential for confusion and legal challenges as states, election officials, and voters navigate what could be a contentious election season.
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