A lawsuit has been filed against Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and various state elections officials, claiming that their efforts to remove noncitizens from voter registration rolls violate federal law. The suit refers to the voter roll maintenance effort as a “Purge Program” and alleges that it violates the National Voter Registration Act. Plaintiffs in the case include the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights, League of Women Voters of Virginia, and the League of Women Voters of Virginia Education Fund.
The suit argues that less than 60 days ago, defendants announced an ongoing program to systematically remove certain voters from the rolls. However, federal law prohibits such voter cancellation or list maintenance programs during the 90-day “quiet period” before an election. The plaintiffs claim that this program is illegal, discriminatory, error-ridden, and has resulted in the cancellation of voter registrations for naturalized U.S. citizens while jeopardizing the rights of others.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s spokesperson Christian Martinez defended the process by stating that every step in the established list maintenance process is mandated by Virginia law and begins after an individual indicates they are not a citizen. Martinez emphasized that anyone spreading misinformation about it is either ignoring Virginia law or trying to undermine it because they want noncitizens to vote.
Early voting for the 2024 elections in Virginia began last month. Both Governor Youngkin’s spokesperson and a spokesperson for Attorney General Miyares expressed confidence in their respective positions regarding this lawsuit.