Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) criticized a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit against his state for purging voter registers on Sunday.
“To be clear, this is not a purge,” Youngkin told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream concerning voter roll withdrawals.
Youngkin stated, “This is based on a law that then-Democrat Governor Tim Kaine signed into effect in 2006,” adding that the state uses an “individualized process” to determine whether self-identified noncitizens can vote.
The governor threatened to remove voters from the rolls if they did not affirm their citizenship.
Earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Virginia over voter roll purges. According to the government, Virginia officials violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by contesting voters’ eligibility so close to the election.
Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division, stated that officials across the country should adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s clear and unambiguous restrictions on systematic list maintenance efforts that occur within 90 days of an election.
Youngkin issued an executive order in August approving “daily” revisions to the voter list. The modifications involved comparing the list of individuals identified as non-citizens by the State Department of Motor Vehicles to the list of existing registered voters.
Local registrars were then required to contact challenged voters and inform them of “pending cancellation” unless they “affirmed their citizenship” within 14 days.
According to the Justice Department, this approach resulted in the cancellation of some Virginia voters’ registrations.
“And now, 25 days—last week—before the election, the Justice Department has decided to file a lawsuit, despite the fact that this law has been in force for 18 years, under the supervision of both Democratic and Republican governors.” And this is why I believe Americans and Virginians are wondering what the Justice Department is up to,” Youngkin said on “Fox News Sunday.”
