FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 10/25/24
Contact:
Assefash Makonnen, Communications Manager
646- 629-7131
COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF IMMIGRANT RIGHTS GROUPS IN VIRGINIA PURGE PROGRAM LAWSUIT; ORDERS REMOVED VOTERS BE ADDED BACK TO ROLLS
The lawsuit argued that Virginia’s purge program violated the 1993 National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
ALEXANDRIA, V.A.-- Today, immigrant rights advocates won a major victory against the Virginia Board of Elections and Attorney General Jason Miyares. The court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit that argued that naturalized citizens were unlawfully and systematically removed from the voter rolls in Virginia as part of the state’s “purge program.” With less than two weeks until the election, this ruling restores voter registration for hundreds of naturalized citizens that were denied their fundamental right to access the ballot box, including three impacted members of African Communities Together.
“This is a key victory! We are excited that the law was upheld, voting rights restored and now, all Virginians including the hundreds of registered African voters removed under Governor Youngkin’s purge program will be able to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming General Election,” says Gigi Traore, National Civic Engagement Director at African Communities Together. “Thank you Judge Giles for recognizing the direct impact Executive Order 35 has had on our nonpartisan voter engagement program. We are grateful for today's outcome and remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring civic participation is accessible to all and not a select few.”
On August 7, 2024, three months before Election Day, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order (E.O. 35) that required state and local election officials to remove individuals from the state voter registration list if Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records do not indicate that they are U.S. citizens. The order also required that individuals be notified of pending cancellations and required to provide proof of citizenship within 14 days or be removed from registration lists.
The lawsuit, originally filed on October 8, 2024, argued that the “Purge Program” violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by blocking U.S. citizens from exercising their right to vote and illegally implementing a purge program during the 90-day “quiet period”. In Virginia, drivers’ licenses are available to all residents regardless of citizenship and can remain valid for up to eight years. The lawsuit states:
“The Purge Program systematically removes Virginians from the voter rolls shortly before the November 2024 general election based solely on the fact that they were at one point identified as a potential noncitizens—according to databases from the DMV or other sources— even if they have since become naturalized citizens and lawfully registered to vote or even if they are U.S.-born citizens who were mistakenly identified as noncitizens.”
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit included African Communities Together (ACT), the Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights (VACIR), the League of Women Voters of Virginia Education Fund, and the League of Women Voters of Virginia.
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About African Communities Together
African Communities Together is an organization of African immigrants fighting for civil rights, opportunity, and a better life for African families in the U.S. and worldwide. ACT connects African immigrants to critical services, helps Africans develop as leaders, and organizes African immigrant communities on the issues that matter.
Twitter/Instagram: @AfricansUS
Facebook: facebook.com/AfricansUS
Website: www.africans.us