A federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia has ordered the Commonwealth of Virginia to halt a program that removes voters from registration rolls ahead of the November 5 general election. The order mandates the state to guide all general registrars in Virginia to reinstate voters whose registrations were canceled due to this program unless they requested removal or are otherwise eligible for removal.
The Department of Justice initiated legal action against the Commonwealth of Virginia, its State Board of Elections, and its Commissioner of Elections on October 11. The lawsuit claims that Virginia's voter list maintenance program, announced by Governor Glenn Youngkin on August 7, contravened Section 8(c)(2) of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). This section prohibits systematic removal of ineligible voters within 90 days before a federal election.
As part of the court's ruling, Virginia must send remedial mailings to registrants who were canceled under this process but did not request removal. These mailings will inform them that their voting rights have been restored. The injunction also requires notifying affected individuals that their inclusion in the removal program does not determine their voting eligibility nor subjects them to criminal prosecution for registering or voting.
Eligible voters who suspect wrongful removal from voter rolls due to this or any similar process should contact the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section via an internet portal at www.civilrights.justice.gov or by phone at 1-800-253-3931. Further information about voting and elections is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Complaints regarding potential violations of federal voting rights laws can also be submitted through these channels.