WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Republican National Committee (RNC) secured an election integrity win in Prince William County, Virginia, and sued Fairfax County, Virginia to block non-citizens from voting ahead of next week’s referendum election.
“Virginia law is clear: if someone is suspected of not being a U.S. citizen, election officials are required to challenge them,” said Republican Party Chairman Joe Gruters. “Prince William County was instructing poll workers to ignore state law. As soon as the RNC’s election integrity team was alerted of this problem, we stepped in to fight for the law to be enforced. We’re suing Fairfax County to do the same.”
Background:
- Faced with an imminent lawsuit from the RNC, Prince William County voluntarily changed its guidance to comply with Virginia law, which requires election officials to challenge any voter they suspect is not a U.S. citizen.
Prince William County’s training manual had instructed election officials to allow individuals with Driver Privilege Cards (DPCs) – which are exclusively issued to non-citizens – to vote without challenge.
The county’s guidance also permitted additional forms of identification – such as paychecks, bank statements, and utility bills – that do not verify citizenship status.
- Because of the RNC’s action, Prince William County will now have to ensure only citizens are voting in Virginia elections.
- The RNC has also filed a lawsuit against Fairfax County over similar concerns and is working to ensure that Fairfax County complies with the same state law.
- The RNC is fighting across the country to ensure that non-citizens are removed from voter rolls and that only lawful votes are counted.
- In March, the RNC moved to intervene in a lawsuit attempting to block Virginia election officials from removing noncitizens from voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
- In February, the RNC filed a cert petition at the Supreme Court, asking the Court to take up a case concerning Arizona's law requiring documentary proof of citizenship.
- The RNC is actively defending President Trump's Executive Order requiring documentary proof of citizenship.
- Stay up to date with the RNC’s election integrity efforts here.
