### Justice Department Sues Virginia Over Voter Registration Purge

In a move to protect voter rights, the U.S. Justice Department has taken legal action against Virginia, aiming to halt the state's cancellation of voter registrations, particularly those allegedly belonging to noncitizens. This lawsuit, filed on Friday, targets the enforcement of this policy, which has been part of Virginia's electoral landscape for 18 years, according to Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

At the heart of the dispute is the state's recent effort to purge voter rolls, which the Justice Department claims violates federal law. Specifically, the department argues that removing voters within 90 days of an election breaches the 1993 National Voter Registration Act. The lawsuit requests that a federal judge reinstate voters removed since August 7 and ensure local election officials receive appropriate training to avoid mistakenly disenfranchising eligible voters.

Gov. Youngkin, who signed an executive order on August 7 to bolster this registration review, defends the state's policy. Under the order, the state compares daily lists of DMV-identified noncitizens with voter registration rolls. Voters flagged as noncitizens are then given a 14-day window to verify their citizenship, failing which their registrations are canceled.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, head of the civil rights division, criticized the policy, stating it jeopardizes qualified voters and fosters electoral confusion. The lawsuit highlights cases where voters were marked as noncitizens despite having previously affirmed their citizenship. It notes the review process's lack of accuracy verification and the mandate for local registrars to notify flagged voters, even when they're believed to be U.S. citizens.

Gov. Youngkin claims the policy's longevity and bipartisan enforcement history since its inception in 2006 supports its validity. He remains firm that ensuring election integrity remains his top priority. Between January 2022 and July 2024, 6,303 suspected noncitizens were removed under the current regime, according to Youngkin's executive order.

However, the lawsuit identifies errors, such as in Prince William County, where 43 of the 162 voters removed were likely U.S. citizens. Challenges, including postal delays affecting the notification-return process, amplify concerns. Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals acknowledged these operational issues, particularly spotlighting USPS performance, during a legislative hearing on September 4.

Research institutions, including the Brennan Center for Justice and the Cato Institute, suggest that noncitizen voting is nearly non-existent. For example, the Brennan Center identified only 30 suspected cases out of 23.5 million votes in a 2016 study across 42 jurisdictions. Nevertheless, the prevention of noncitizen voting remains a prominent issue for Republicans, who have launched similar legal battles in other states.