Biden-appointed judge blocks Virginia’s efforts to remove non-citizens from voter rolls – IJR

A federal judge on Friday stifled efforts by Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin to remove noncitizens from voter rolls before Election Day.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles, appointed by President Joe Biden to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, ordered Virginia to reinstate approximately 1,600 people registered to vote who she said were unlawfully removed in connection with the state’s efforts to remove non-citizens from voter rolls. According to court decision. The court’s order marks another setback for GOP states that are trying to remove non-citizens from voter rolls ahead of the November election.

“Let’s be clear about what just happened: Just eleven days before the presidential election, a federal judge ordered Virginia to reinstate more than 1,500 people on the voter rolls who identified themselves as foreigners,” Youngkin said in press release. “Nearly all of these individuals have previously provided immigration documents confirming their alien status, which has recently been verified by federal authorities.”

“This is a Virginia statute passed in 2006, signed by then-Governor Tim Kaine, that imposes certain procedures designed to remove non-citizens of the United States from the voter rolls, providing protections for proof of citizenship against removal, and providing a complete guarantee of voter registration the same day. U.S. citizens to cast a provisional ballot,” the governor continued. “This law has been used in every presidential election by Republicans and Democrats since it was passed 18 years ago.”

Republican Party of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced in August that he had done so identified and removed Since taking office, over 6,000 foreigners have been on the electoral rolls. That same month, Youngkin released executive order codified statewide election integrity through a series of measures, such as strengthening ballot security procedures, improving testing of voting machines, and maintaining voter rolls that more accurately identify and remove non-citizens from voter rolls

Youngkin’s office said the governor’s order doubled down on efforts earlier in his administration to promote election integrity, such as a June executive order updating data-sharing agreements and streamlining the removal of deceased voters from the rolls.

However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued Virginia Oct. 12 in connection with an executive order accusing the Virginia Board of Elections and Virginia Commissioner of Elections Susan Beals of violating the National Voter Registration Act, which prohibits states from systematically removing registered voters in the 90 years before an election.

Friday’s decision marks the second time in October that a federal judge has stifled a state GOP attempt to remove noncitizens from voter rolls.

Alabama and the Alabama Secretary of State must stop efforts to remove non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls ahead of the Nov. 5 election, and to provide districts in the state with guidance on how to quickly reinstate many voters who have already been removed, U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco of the Northern District of Alabama issued the ruling October 16. The Department of Justice also sued Alabama over its election integrity efforts.

As for Friday’s decision regarding Virginia, Youngkin vowed to keep fighting.

“Virginia will immediately file a motion with the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and, if necessary, the United States Supreme Court for an emergency stay of enforcement of the order,” the Republican governor said.

(Featured image source: screenshot/YouTube/Glenn Youngkin)