The U.S. Justice Department has sued the state of Virginia for violating the federal prohibition on systematic efforts to remove voters within 90 days of an election.
Executive Order
On August 7, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order requiring the commissioner of Department of
Elections to certify that the department was conducting “daily
updates to the voter list”.
What Has the U.S. Justice Department Said?
U.S. citizens who were identified and notified, and did not affirm their citizenship within 14 days would be removed from the list of registered voters.
The U.S. Justice Department added that this practice has led to citizens having their voter registrations cancelled ahead of the November 5 election.
“By cancelling voter registrations within 90 days of Election Day, Virginia places qualified voters in jeopardy of being removed from the rolls.”
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke further said that it also creates the risk of confusion for the electorate
“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,” Clarke added.
Prohibition On Future Violations
The department said it is seeking injunctive relief that would restore the ability of impacted eligible voters to vote unimpeded on Election Day.
At the same time, it would also prohibit future violations.
Youngkin called the move politically motivated and an attempt to interfere in the election.
He said, “With the Attorney General’s support, we will defend
these common sense steps that we are legally required to take.”
An Unconstitutional Attack On America’s Democracy
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump described the
department’s lawsuit as “an unconstitutional and illegal attack
on America’s democracy.”
Republicans across the U.S. have pushed against non-citizen
voting, which is already illegal, ahead of the November election.
Some election officials have warned that the move could penalize eligible voters.
(With inputs from Reuters)
