Virginia Fair Elections Coalition Commends Governor Youngkin’s Commitment to Comprehensive Election Security; Emphasizes Importance of Increased Transparency and Removal of Existing Invalid Registrations
RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia Fair Elections Coalition (VFE) commends Governor Glenn Youngkin for issuing Executive Order 35, which enshrines a comprehensive suite of election security measures ahead of the 2024 General Election. This Executive Order demonstrates the Governor’s commitment to ensuring that every legal ballot cast in Virginia is accurately counted and the Commonwealth’s elections remain secure and trustworthy. It strengthens our confidence in our elections and lets every Virginia voter know their November vote is valued and essential.
Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order mentions key points in Virginia’s electoral system designed to protect the integrity of the vote:
● 100% Paper Ballots
● Secure Counting Machines
● Stringent Chain of Custody
● Voter List Maintenance
● Strict Application Process for Mail Ballots
● 24/7 Monitoring of Drop Boxes
The Executive Order also addresses the critical issue of illegal registrations. It mandates expedited data sharing between the Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Elections to identify and remove non-citizens who have falsely claimed citizenship.
While we appreciate all these crucial steps to maintain the integrity of voter rolls moving forward, applying these same rigorous criteria to purge any existing invalid registrations that may still be on the rolls is equally important. Ensuring that all registrations are current and valid is essential for upholding the trust of Virginia voters. Accomplishing this directive is the unenviable job of Commissioner Beals, who we commend for her diligent work in implementing the vital election security measures outlined in this executive order.
We encourage the Administration and ELECT to continue strengthening these efforts to further enhance transparency and voter confidence across the Commonwealth, including the following recommendations:
● Official ELECT Advisories:
○ Rescind ELECT Advisory of 10/24/23 which addresses the process for verifying SSN4 and YOB on returned absentee ballots and instead instructs officers of election, as critical officials of election administration, to double-check the SSN.
○ ELECT should issue guidance mandating that Registrars report to their Commonwealth’s Attorneys any infractions of the law regarding registrations or voting, including non-citizen registrations.
○ Make all guidance public on the ELECT website and always send it to electoral board members.
● Utilization of SAVE Program: Per Virginia Code 24.2-404E, ELECT must employ the SAVE program to verify possible non-citizen registrations. The Administration must ensure that Data transmitted from DMV to ELECT includes the identifying document numbers necessary for ELECT to utilize SAVE data fully.
● Verification of Social Security Numbers: ELECT shall immediately submit to the Social Security Administration complete voter registration information for all records in the voter database, including full name, address, date of birth, social security number, and any other information necessary for verifying the accuracy of the Virginia voter database, and maximize the use of SSA verification to authenticate all required components of registration, citizenship, list maintenance and removal of deceased records.
VFE has consistently been an outspoken advocate for election integrity. While our persistent calls for voter roll cleanup may have been exhausting, we genuinely appreciate the progress made by ELECT under Governor Youngkin’s administration. We recognize these achievements would not be possible without our ongoing collaboration and shared commitment to ensuring the integrity of our elections. Only through continued transparency of our electoral process and voter rolls will we build and maintain public trust.
The Virginia Fair Election coalition believes the most secure method of voting is to offer limited early voting and require state-issued photo ID. However, under our current laws we believe the best way to secure your ballot is to vote “VIP1”, vote in person the first day of early voting. Everyone should find it easy to vote, hard to cheat, and know their vote will be properly counted. We also encourage participation in our electoral process by becoming an Officer of Election or Poll Watcher.
We are grateful for Governor Youngkin’s leadership in election security and that Commissioner Beals arduous work has set a high standard for Virginia and the entire nation. The Virginia Fair Elections Coalition will continue to support initiatives that promote transparency, accountability, and the protection of every legal vote.
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Organized in 2021, the Virginia Fair Elections (VFE) Coalition consists of grassroots organizations, individuals, and groups whose goal is to support free, fair, and transparent elections in Virginia. Media inquiries may be sent to: [email protected].