Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a new executive order Friday to strengthen voter roll maintenance and election security, just one week before November early voting.
NORFOLK, Va. — With early voting set to begin in a week, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a new executive order Friday that he says will strengthen the state’s election security.
Executive Order 53 directs the Virginia Department of Elections to work more closely with federal partners, including the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Election Assistance Commission, to improve data sharing and voter roll maintenance. It mandates the continued use of the federal SAVE database, which identifies non-citizens, and instructs the state to test new voting system standards and conduct a full election preparedness exercise before early voting begins on Sept. 19.
In a press release from the Governor’s Office, Youngkin emphasized that Virginia already has what he called one of the most secure election systems in the country, citing paper ballots, machines not connected to the internet and multiple audit layers. He said the new executive order builds on prior efforts, including past executive orders focused on cleaning voter rolls and upgrading security protocols.
However, the move is drawing sharp criticism from Democrats, who say it revives voter suppression tactics.
State Sen. Aaron Rouse, who chairs the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, blasted the order in a Friday press release as “voter suppression and intimidation disguised as election integrity.”
“This is Youngkin’s same repeated playbook,” Rouse said. “He pulled this exact move last year, took it all the way to the Supreme Court, and was allowed to reinstate his voter purge program.”
In 2024, a Youngkin-backed program targeting alleged non-citizens on the voter rolls was challenged in court by the Department of Justice and several voting rights groups. Lower courts initially blocked the effort, but the U.S. Supreme Court later issued an emergency stay allowing it to proceed shortly before the election. Critics said the state failed to verify citizenship status before removing voters, which led to documented instances of lifelong Virginians being wrongly purged.
Rouse noted that he introduced legislation earlier this year to prevent similar actions, but it was vetoed by the governor.
“Instead of sowing doubt and fear, we should be focused on expanding access, protecting every eligible voter, and ensuring that Virginians can cast their ballots without intimidation or unnecessary barriers,” Rouse said.
In contrast, Youngkin said in his Friday statement that, “Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our democracy. That’s why it is so important that we do everything we can to make our elections as secure as possible, ensuring that our lists are accurate and our systems are reliable.”
The statewide tabletop exercise required by the order must take place before early voting begins. Agencies including the Virginia State Police, National Guard, DMV, State Board of Elections and local registrars are expected to participate.
The Department of Elections is also directed to present updated certification standards for voting systems, incorporating stricter technical criteria based on federal guidelines.
Youngkin’s administration says these measures will ensure resilience against evolving threats. But with just a week before ballots are cast, the debate over voter access and security is once again front and center in Virginia’s closely watched statewide elections.
