This week, the Supreme Court has allowed Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to proceed with his plan to remove 1,600 individuals suspected of being noncitizens from the state's voter registration rolls using Department of Motor Vehicles records. Critics argue that this practice is flawed as DMV records may not be up-to-date, potentially leading to the removal of eligible US citizens from the voter rolls.
Upon accessing the list of removed Virginia voters, it was discovered that a mix of US citizens and noncitizens had been affected. Some individuals were aware of their removal, while others were informed through external sources like CNN before they had the chance to vote.
Instances of noncitizens voting are rare, as evidenced by a recent Georgia audit that found only a small number of registered noncitizens, with even fewer having cast votes.
Youngkin's spokesperson emphasized that every eligible Virginia citizen can vote by utilizing Same Day Registration through Election Day, as per state law. Additionally, residents have the option to use same-day registration to vote early or on Election Day as a fail-safe measure.
Several affected voters shared their experiences, including an 18-year-old student, Rachel Xu, who was unaware of her removal from the voter rolls despite becoming a US citizen a year ago. Another individual, Nadra Wilson, a US-born voter, expressed confusion after being purged from the rolls despite voting without issues since 2015.
Similarly, Fatima Bashir, a recent US citizen from Pakistan, was surprised to learn of her removal and plans to vote for the first time in the upcoming election. Saule Bohoney, a naturalized citizen, expressed disappointment at being removed and intends to re-register when time permits.
Abdullah Al Mosawa, a US citizen from Yemen, discovered his removal through social media and plans to re-register to vote for the Green Party nominee. Despite the inconvenience, he remains eager to participate in the election.
Voting rights groups are now focused on contacting purged voters to verify their eligibility and guide them through the same-day registration process, ensuring that all eligible individuals can exercise their right to vote.
