Alexandria, Va. — Today, the Virginia Coalition of Immigrant Rights (VACIR), the League of Women Voters of Virginia (LWVVA), and African Communities Together (ACT) successfully defended naturalized Americans who were unfairly targeted in Virginia’s illegal and last-minute purge program.  

A judge just ruled to temporarily halt the program and put voters back on the rolls. The plaintiffs are represented by Campaign Legal Center (CLC), Protect Democracy Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Advancement Project. 

“Today’s court decision affirms that newly naturalized citizens have the same rights as every other voter,” said Joan Porte, president of the League of Women Voters of Virginia. “Purging newly naturalized Virginians is an attack on our democracy. We are proud this ruling protects Virginia voters and ensures their voices are protected and heard.” 

“Last-minute voter purges not only violate the law but also undermine the core principles of our democracy, especially when they are premised on xenophobic lies,” said Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters of the United States. “We are pleased with the court’s decision today to protect naturalized Americans and ensure that they are fully represented in the electoral process.” 

“Every American citizen, regardless of where they were born, has the freedom to vote. Virginia broke the law by conducting a last-minute purge that targeted naturalized citizens. We’re glad the court acted so every Virginian can make their voice heard in this upcoming election,” said Paul Smith, senior vice president of Campaign Legal Center.  

“This is a major victory for our community! Today, naturalized citizens, including the over 85,000 registered African voters in Virginia, have had their voices heard,” said Gigi Traore, civic engagement director at African Communities Together. “The ruling returns access to the ballot box back to voters, allowing them to exercise their fundamental right to vote.” 

Background:   

The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) bans voter purges (the systematic removal of voters) within 90 days of an election. This period is referred to as a “quiet period.” On the very first day of the quiet period, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin directed the Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT) to identify and purge voters on a systematic and ongoing basis.     

There are already strict laws in place that ensure only U.S. citizens can vote in federal elections. Last-minute voter purges that occur within 30 days of Election Day, when early voting is already underway, inevitably deny qualified Americans their freedom to vote.    

When Congress passed the NVRA in 1993, it ensured that states can’t conduct last-minute illegal voter purges, and Virginia clearly violated that law.   

CLC filed suit earlier this month on behalf of VACIR, LWVVA, and ACT alongside Protect Democracy Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Advancement Project to challenge the state’s policy of illegally and systematically removing voters from the rolls only one month before the upcoming election.