The United States Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Virginia for removing voters from registration rolls too close to the presidential election on November 5. The lawsuit comes in response to an executive order issued by Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, which initiated the removal of individuals from voter registration rolls if officials are unable to verify their citizenship. The Justice Department argues that the order violated a 90-day quiet period outlined in The National Voter Registration Act, which requires systematic removals to be done at least three months ahead of a federal vote to prevent disenfranchisement.
Governor Youngkin defended his executive order, stating that it is a common-sense step to secure and fair elections in Virginia. However, Republicans and allies of former President Donald Trump have been spreading unfounded claims of possible election malfeasance, including allegations of noncitizen voting in large numbers. Despite these claims, noncitizen voting in the US is exceedingly rare and has had no significant impact on past elections, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, several states have passed measures requiring higher burdens of proof to show a voter’s citizenship. Democracy monitors warn that these efforts may disenfranchise eligible US citizens. The move to restrict noncitizen voting comes amid a broader push by Republicans to emphasize alleged election fraud, echoing claims made about the 2020 election. However, there is little evidence to support these claims, and most voter administration is determined by state officials rather than federal mandates.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com