Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin hit again on the Division of Justice’s lawsuit in opposition to the state over an election reform legislation that he stated was most just lately utilized by earlier Democratic state leaders with out intervention from the federal authorities.
“To be clear, this is not a purge. This is based on a law that was signed into effect in 2006 by then-Democrat Gov. Tim Kaine. And it starts with a basic premise that when someone walks into one of our DMVs and self-identifies as a noncitizen, and then they end up on the voter rolls, either purposely or by accident, that we go through a process, individualized – not system, not systematic – an individualized process based on that person’s self-identification as a noncitizen to give them 14 days to affirm they are a citizen,” Youngkin stated throughout an look on “Fox News Sunday,” anchored by Shannon Bream.
“And if they don’t, they come off the voter rolls. And by the way, they have one last safeguard, which is they can come and same day register and cast a provisional ballot,” he added.
Youngkin was responding to a DOJ go well with filed on Oct. 11 alleging the state, its board of elections and elections commissioner violated a federal legislation by finishing up an government order by Youngkin. The order directs municipal and/or state officers to cull names of people who find themselves “unable to verify that they are citizens” to the Division of Motor Autos for voter registration functions.
DOJ ONCE OK’D LAW AT CENTER OF YOUNGKIN VOTER ROLL-CULLING ORDER FEDS NOW SUING TO BLOCK
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on “Fox News Sunday” (Fox Information)
The criticism argues federal legislation says states should full their upkeep packages no later than 90 days earlier than an election, citing a clause recognized because the Quiet Interval Provision. The criticism notes that voters have been recognized as attainable noncitizens in the event that they responded “no” to questions on their citizenship standing on sure varieties submitted to the state Division of Motor Autos.
Youngkin continued on Sunday that the legislation has been on the books for 18 years, however is now coming beneath hearth from the federal authorities after Youngkin’s administration enforced it.
GOP GOVERNOR SLAMS ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ DOJ LAWSUIT OVER REMOVAL OF NONCITIZENS FROM VOTER ROLLS
“Back in 2006, the then-Justice Department actually approved of this law and said that it is not only further constitutional, but we have given it thorough review, and we’re OK with you moving ahead with it,” he stated.
“Now, 25 days last week before the election, a Justice Department decides they are going to bring suit after this law has been in effect for 18 years, administered by Democrat and Republican governors. And this is the reason why I believe that Americans and Virginians wonder what the Justice Department is up to. It’s been in effect for 18 years. It’s been applied universally by Republican and Democrat governors. And now all of a sudden, when Virginia is getting tight… it launches a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Virginia when we are trying to make sure that citizens vote, not noncitizens,” he stated.
The Division of Justice seals is seen throughout a information convention on the DOJ workplace in Washington, Could 16, 2023. (AP Picture/Jose Luis Magana)
Youngkin’s government order cited Virginia code 24.2-439, which requires authorities registrars to cancel noncitizens’ voter registrations deemed to have been sought beneath false pretenses. It additionally cited Virginia Code 24.2-1019, requiring registrars to right away notify their county or metropolis prosecutor of such conditions.
The Republican governor underscored that he’s not implementing a voter roll “purge,” however an “individualized” safeguard system to make sure authorized residents are the solely folks to vote in elections.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks in the course of the Religion & Freedom Coalition’s Street to Majority Coverage Convention on June 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Photos)
“It had been used within the 90-day quiet period, most recently by Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam. And they said nothing about it at the time. The reality is that this is not a purge. It is not systematic. It is individualized. And it starts with someone identifying as a noncitizen and then ending up on our voter rolls. As I said, either purposely or by accident. And the reality is, how can we as a nation, and how can I, as a governor, allow noncitizens to be on the voter roll? This is just not right. It’s not just constitutionally correct. It’s common sense,” he continued.
“Elections in the United States should be decided by citizens, and noncitizens just shouldn’t be on the voter rolls. And we’re going to make sure that elections in Virginia are fair and accurate and safe. We have paper ballots. We have counting machines, not voting machines. We have great custody laws. And we’re going to make sure that we have… the cleanest voter rolls in the country.”
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Fox Information Digital’s Charles Creitz and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.
