Grapevine

US Justice Department sues Virginia for purging voters before election

The move comes as Republicans increasingly emphasise the chance of noncitizen voting, despite little evidence of any significant risk posed.

The United States Justice Department has sued Virginia for removing voters from registration rolls too close to the presidential election on November 5.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday, comes in response to an executive order issued in August by Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.

It initiated the removal of individuals from voter registration rolls if officials are “unable to verify that they are citizens” through the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

But the Justice Department says the executive order was issued with too little time before election day, violating a 90-day “quiet period” outlined in The National Voter Registration Act.