(DailyAnswer.org) –The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is suing Virginia for enforcing a law designed to keep non-citizens off the voter rolls, despite the same DOJ approving the law back in 2007. This twist, revealed by The Daily Wire, has caused tension between the Biden administration and Virginia officials.
The law in question was signed by then-Governor Tim Kaine, now a Democratic senator, and has been in effect for 18 years. Virginia’s process required people applying for a driver’s license to confirm their citizenship before being offered the chance to register to vote. At the time, the DOJ approved the change. John Tanner, who led the DOJ’s Voting Section in 2006, confirmed that there were no objections from the federal government, though he noted future litigation was still possible.
Virginia’s current Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, defended the law, saying, “We are simply enforcing rules that were agreed upon and followed by both Democrats and Republicans for years.” He added, “Non-citizens shouldn’t be on voter rolls—this is common sense and aligns with both the law and the Constitution.”
In August, Youngkin took further steps by issuing an executive order to clean up voter rolls. His administration identified and removed 6,300 non-citizens who were mistakenly registered between 2022 and 2024. In addition, Virginia entered agreements with other states to cross-check voter lists, removing nearly 80,000 deceased voters and those who had moved out of the state.
The issue escalated when the DOJ announced, on October 11, that it was suing Virginia. The Biden administration argued that removing voters so close to the election violates federal law, which sets a “Quiet Period” preventing changes to voter lists within 90 days of an election. The lawsuit claims that the process could accidentally disenfranchise legitimate voters.
Youngkin insists that Virginia’s procedures are lawful and fair. He pointed out that the state only removes people if they confirm at the DMV that they are not citizens, and they are given 14 days to correct the record if there’s a mistake. However, the DOJ says this system could unfairly burden legitimate voters and cause confusion, especially so close to the election.
With Virginia’s recent elections decided by slim margins, some worry these disputes could impact the 2024 presidential race. But Youngkin remains firm, saying, “Our elections will be secure, and I won’t let politically motivated lawsuits interfere.”
Copyright 2024, DailyAnswer.org
