WASHINGTON,
D.C. – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters
released the following statement after the RNC and RITE PAC filed a
lawsuit challenging a Virginia law that allows non-residents
to vote in the state’s elections:
“People
who have never lived in Virginia — or even in the United States — should not
be voting in Virginia’s elections,” said Chairman Gruters. “Virginia
officials are ignoring the Virginia Constitution and allowing ineligible
voters to cast ballots. The RNC and RITE PAC are taking this action to
enforce the law and ensure non-residents are not diluting the votes of
Virginians.”
Background:
- Today, the RNC and RITE PAC
filed a lawsuit against the Virginia State Board of Elections
challenging a
provision in state law that allows non-residents to
vote in the state’s elections.
- Supposedly
written to allow military members to vote while living overseas,
Virginia law currently allows individuals who have never lived in the
state — or the country — to register and vote.
- These
individuals are permitted to cast ballots in federal elections without
establishing residency in Virginia.
- The law violates the
Virginia Constitution, which requires voters to meet
state and local residency requirements.
- The lawsuit follows similar
RNC actions in Arizona
and Michigan to
ensure only eligible residents vote in state elections.
- The RNC won a similar case in
North Carolina, where courts ruled that allowing non-residents to vote
violated the state constitution’s residency requirements.
- Stay up to date with the
RNC’s election integrity efforts here.
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