Youngkin Hits Back At Biden-Harris DOJ Over Noncitizen Voter Roll Lawsuit

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is fighting back after the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit to block the state’s efforts to clean up its voter rolls by removing noncitizens. The lawsuit, filed just weeks before the November election, has drawn sharp criticism from Youngkin, who says the administration is attempting to undermine election security.

At the center of the dispute is Youngkin’s Executive Order 35, signed in August. The order directs election officials to remove noncitizens and other ineligible voters from the rolls, ensuring that only eligible citizens can vote. The DOJ, however, argues that this action violates the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which restricts changes to voter lists within 90 days of an election to prevent errors or confusion.

Youngkin blasted the lawsuit as a desperate attempt by the Biden-Harris administration to interfere in Virginia’s election process. He pointed out that the state is simply enforcing a law that has been in place since 2006, allowing for the removal of ineligible voters. “With less than 30 days until the election, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice is filing an unprecedented lawsuit,” Youngkin wrote on social media.

The DOJ, led by Kristen Clarke in the Civil Rights Division, insists that the timing of Virginia’s actions is the issue. The lawsuit claims that making changes to voter rolls so close to an election could cause eligible voters to be mistakenly removed, potentially impacting the outcome of the election.

Youngkin and his supporters argue that the lawsuit is politically motivated, with the administration more focused on protecting noncitizens than on securing elections. As Election Day approaches, this legal battle over voter roll maintenance could have far-reaching consequences, with other states watching to see how the courts rule on Virginia’s case.