In a decisive move to safeguard election integrity, Virginia has purged over 6,300 non-citizens from its voter rolls, following an executive order issued by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. This proactive measure comes as the nation gears up for November’s elections, aiming to prevent any potential voter fraud and ensure that every legal vote counts.
Governor Youngkin’s executive order, issued earlier this week, instructed the Department of Elections to remove “non-citizens who may have purposefully or accidentally registered to vote.” The sweeping directive also calls for the removal of nearly 80,000 deceased voters and those who have moved out of state. Governor Youngkin emphasized the importance of these actions, stating, “The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue; it’s an American and Virginian issue. Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines.”
Under Youngkin’s leadership, Virginia is taking a rigorous approach to ensure the integrity of its elections. The state’s voting system is bolstered by several robust security measures: it utilizes 100% paper ballots with a strict chain of custody, relies on well-tested counting machines that are not connected to the internet, and avoids mass mail ballots. Additionally, drop boxes are monitored around the clock. Voter identity and citizenship are verified using DMV data and other trusted sources, with daily updates to the voter rolls to remove deceased individuals, those who have moved, and non-citizens.
Governor Youngkin further detailed the verification process, noting, “The last four digits of a voter’s social security number and year of birth provided on the envelope are matched to the voter’s record in the statewide voter registration system.” He stressed the state’s commitment to election security: “In Virginia, we don’t play games, and our model for election security is working.”
Virginia’s actions echo similar efforts in other states grappling with election integrity. In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose has also taken significant steps to clean up voter rolls. LaRose, who has sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution, stated, “The document clearly states that only United States citizens can participate in Ohio elections. Therefore, I am duty-bound to ensure that those who have not yet earned citizenship are not voting. When they do become citizens, they will be welcomed to the franchise. Until then, we must remove ineligible registrations to prevent illegal voting.”
With illegal immigration surging under the Biden-Harris administration, there is growing concern about non-citizens potentially influencing election outcomes. House Speaker Mike Johnson recently highlighted the urgency of the issue during his visit to the southern border. He criticized the Democratic stance on election security and underscored the need for the SAVE Act, which seeks to guarantee that only U.S. citizens can vote. “Kamala Harris and 198 House Democrats want to allow illegal aliens to decide American elections right now. We don’t believe that the honor system will suffice. Our elections are too important to be left vulnerable, especially with the administration on track to report up to 10 million encounters with illegals before October,” Johnson asserted.
As concerns about election integrity continue to mount, Virginia’s decisive actions set a precedent for other states grappling with similar issues, reinforcing the need for stringent measures to protect the sanctity of the ballot box.
