WASHINGTON — Conservative legal organization Judicial Watch says records obtained from the Virginia Department of Elections show the commonwealth canceled 6,531 voter registrations identified as belonging to declared noncitizens between June 2024 and June 2026.
The records were released in response to a June public records request filed by Judicial Watch under the National Voter Registration Act seeking documents related to Virginia’s voter roll maintenance efforts. According to the organization, the records did not include voting histories for the canceled registrations.
“These Virginia numbers show that the New Jersey noncitizen voter scandal is just the tip of the iceberg and is a national crisis,” @TomFitton
Virginia’s removal process relied on DMV citizenship declarations
According to an April opinion letter from the Virginia Attorney General cited by Judicial Watch, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles compiles a list of individuals who indicate they are not U.S. citizens while applying for or renewing a driver’s license or identification card.
Election officials then compare that information with the state’s voter registration database. If a match is found, local registrars notify the voter of their intent to cancel the registration, giving the individual 14 days to submit a sworn statement confirming U.S. citizenship before the registration is removed.
The attorney general’s opinion also noted that the process “has resulted in flagging eligible citizens due to inadvertent user error,” requiring election officials to independently verify each case before canceling a registration.
Judicial Watch compares Virginia findings to New Jersey
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said the Virginia records demonstrate that concerns over noncitizen voter registrations extend beyond New Jersey.
“It is disturbing beyond belief that as many as 6,531 noncitizens were registered to vote in Virginia,” Fitton said. “Judicial Watch is demanding more details and so should federal law enforcement, especially as Virginia is set to stop removing declared noncitizens from the rolls in the run-up to the November election.”
Fitton added, “These Virginia numbers show that the New Jersey noncitizen voter scandal is just the tip of the iceberg and is a national crisis.”
Virginia agreed earlier this year to pause its removal program for declared noncitizens during the 90-day period before federal elections as part of a legal settlement, according to the attorney general’s opinion cited by Judicial Watch.
The organization’s announcement comes days after New Jersey officials confirmed that thousands of noncitizens were mistakenly registered to vote through a Motor Vehicle Commission system error. While the two situations involve different voter registration systems and circumstances, Judicial Watch said the Virginia records highlight what it describes as broader national concerns over voter roll maintenance.
Source: Judicial Watch, Commonwealth of Virginia
