(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Gov. Glenn Youngkin cleaned up Virginia’s voter rolls before the November election, purging noncitizens from the list. And, like clockwork, the Biden-Harris DOJ swiftly filed a lawsuit in response.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, the DOJ claimed that Youngkin’s Aug. 7 executive order, which sought to remove noncitizens registered to vote, violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.
The lawsuit asserted that Youngkin’s actions occurred too close to the November election, allegedly violating the law’s provision banning voter registration cleanups within 90 days of a federal election.
Youngkin condemned the lawsuit, calling the DOJ’s actions “unprecedented.”
In his statement, the governor highlighted that the executive order merely enforced a 2006 law, signed by then-Gov. Tim Kaine (now a U.S. senator), that requires the state to remove ineligible voters from its rolls.
With less than 30 days until the election, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice is filing an unprecedented lawsuit against me and the Commonwealth of Virginia, for appropriately enforcing a 2006 law to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls.
Virginians – and Americans – will…
— Glenn Youngkin (@GlennYoungkin) October 11, 2024
“Virginians – and Americans – will see this for exactly what it is: a desperate attempt to attack the legitimacy of the elections in the Commonwealth, the very crucible of American Democracy,” Youngkin said.
He vowed to defend his executive order with the backing of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. “Virginia’s election will be secure and fair, and I will not stand idly by as this politically motivated action tries to interfere in our elections, period,” he added.
In contrast, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke argued that Youngkin’s order placed “qualified voters in jeopardy of being removed from the rolls” and created “confusion for the electorate.”
Clarke added, “Congress adopted the National Voter Registration Act’s quiet period restriction to prevent error-prone, eleventh hour efforts that all too often disenfranchise qualified voters. The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy and the Justice Department will continue to ensure that the rights of qualified voters are protected.”
Virginia’s lawsuit follows a similar one filed against Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen last month. Allen had ordered the removal of 3,251 noncitizens from voter rolls.
As alleged by the DOJ, some American citizens were erroneously flagged as ineligible in letters.
In his initial order, Allen acknowledged the possibility of errors. However, he suggested that such mistakes could have been avoided if the federal government had collaborated with the state to identify noncitizens months before the election.
The Biden-Harris DOJ has launched an unprecedented assault against American voters.
Just days before the election, they have sued the States of Alabama and Virginia to keep illegal aliens on the voter rolls.
Every single American should be outraged. pic.twitter.com/kuzX1RNcDd
— America First Legal (@America1stLegal) October 12, 2024
