The Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against Virginia’s efforts to remove noncitizens and other ineligible individuals from its voter rolls ahead of the November election. The lawsuit, which comes just weeks before voters head to the polls, has sparked a heated response from Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Youngkin’s Executive Order 35, signed in August, calls for the removal of noncitizens who have not responded to requests for citizenship verification within 14 days. The DOJ, however, claims that these efforts violate the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which prohibits major changes to voter lists within 90 days of an election.
🚨 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 slammed the lawsuit as a politically motivated attack, accusing the Biden-Harris administration of undermining the integrity of Virginia’s elections. “Virginians – and Americans – will see this for exactly what it is; a desperate attempt to attack the legitimacy of the elections in the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said.
The DOJ’s lawsuit centers on concerns that Virginia’s actions could confuse voters and result in the removal of eligible individuals from the rolls. Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, emphasized that federal law is clear about restrictions on voter roll changes before elections to prevent potential mistakes.
@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
This isn’t the first time the Biden-Harris administration has clashed with a state over voter roll maintenance. The DOJ recently filed a similar lawsuit against Alabama, raising concerns among Republicans that the administration is more interested in protecting noncitizens than in ensuring secure elections.
As the legal battle unfolds, Youngkin has positioned himself as a champion of election security, insisting that the lawsuit is a distraction from real issues facing voters. With Election Day drawing closer, this case could set a precedent for how states handle voter roll maintenance in the future.
