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You may have seen the headlines earlier this week.

I joined the Republican National Committee (RNC) and Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections (RITE) PAC earlier this week as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Virginia State Board of Elections.

This case challenges a specific Virginia election rule that allows certain individuals living overseas to vote in Virginia… even if they have never lived in the Commonwealth.

Under current law, someone who was born outside the United States and has never resided in Virginia can still register and vote here if their parent or legal guardian last lived in Virginia.

I believe this conflicts with the Virginia Constitution, which requires that voters be actual residents of the Commonwealth and of the precinct where they vote. In other words, the Constitution ties voting rights to a person’s own residence, not that of their parents.

The lawsuit argues that allowing individuals who have never lived in Virginia to vote here undermines that constitutional requirement. It also raises concerns about the integrity of elections and the principle that each lawful voter’s voice should carry equal weight.

When individuals who are not legally qualified to vote participate in elections, it can dilute the votes of lawful Virginia residents.

This case does not challenge the rights of military members or overseas citizens who previously lived in Virginia to vote absentee. Those rights are well-established and not in dispute. The focus is specifically on individuals who have never established residency in Virginia at all.

Through this lawsuit, the other plaintiffs and I are asking the court to declare the relevant statutes unconstitutional and to require election officials to limit voting to individuals who meet Virginia’s residency requirements.

This effort is about ensuring that Virginia elections are conducted in accordance with the Constitution and that the rules governing voter eligibility are applied consistently and lawfully.

You can read more in The Washington Times, RedState, The Federalist, and you can listen to my conversation with Larry O’Connor and Carrie Lukas on WMAL from earlier this morning here.

I will keep you updated as this complaint makes its way through the process.

Onward,

Matthew Hurtt, Chairman
Arlington GOP