Virginia Removed 6,531 Declared Noncitizens From Voter Rolls in Two Years

Virginia election officials removed 6,531 individuals who declared themselves noncitizens from the state’s voter registration rolls between June 2024 and June 2026, according to public records obtained by Judicial Watch. The removals have brought renewed attention to the issue of voter roll integrity, as state and federal officials continue to debate how to address noncitizen registrations ahead of the November election.

Explainer Election Integrity in America: Safeguarding Voter Trust and Ballot Security

The question of noncitizen voting has become a national topic, particularly as the Trump administration and other political leaders call for stricter maintenance of voter rolls. Several states have reported similar findings. Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimated that four states—California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania—had a combined 256,463 noncitizens on their voter rolls. In New Jersey, officials acknowledged finding 6,600 noncitizens registered, though DHS estimated the figure at 35,000. Of those, New Jersey said fewer than 400 had voted. These numbers have fueled debate over the scope of the issue and the effectiveness of current safeguards.

How Virginia Identified Noncitizens

According to Judicial Watch, Virginia’s Department of Elections classified each of the 6,531 individuals as a “declared noncitizen” after the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) compiled a list of people who answered “no” to the question “Are you a citizen?” on its online portal. Local registrars then confirmed whether the information matched a voter registration record. If a match was found, the registrar sent a notice of intent to cancel the registration. Individuals had 14 days to submit a sworn statement affirming their citizenship; if they did not respond, their registration was canceled.

Judicial Watch noted that the state produced no record of whether these noncitizens had actually voted. The list only includes registered voters who self-identified as noncitizens, so the actual number of noncitizens on the rolls could be higher. The process does not capture individuals who may have falsely claimed citizenship when registering to vote, meaning the true scope of the issue remains uncertain.

National Context and Legal Settlement

The findings in Virginia come as 25 states participating in DHS’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database have identified at least 28,000 noncitizens on voter rolls so far, according to DHS. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton described the Virginia numbers as “disturbing beyond belief,” and argued that the issue is a “national crisis.”

"It is disturbing beyond belief that as many as 6,531 noncitizens were registered to vote in Virginia. 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."

— Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch President

In April, Virginia settled with the Campaign Legal Center and other groups over its policy of removing declared noncitizens. As part of the settlement, the state agreed to pause such removals within the 90-day period before federal elections. This means Virginia is expected to halt these efforts as the November election approaches, in line with federal guidelines that restrict certain voter list maintenance activities close to elections.

Reactions and Next Steps

Judicial Watch has called for further investigation and urged federal law enforcement to seek more details about the removals and the broader issue of noncitizen registration. Fitton also referenced the New Jersey noncitizen voter controversy, claiming it is “just the tip of the iceberg.”

Supporters of the pause in removals, including the Campaign Legal Center, have argued that the policy could risk disenfranchising eligible voters who may have been incorrectly flagged as noncitizens. They contend that safeguards are necessary to ensure that eligible voters are not mistakenly removed from the rolls, especially close to an election. Virginia officials have not publicly responded to Judicial Watch’s latest claims, but the state’s agreement to halt removals before the election follows legal pressure from left-leaning advocacy groups.

The number of noncitizens removed from Virginia’s rolls, as well as the ongoing legal and political debate, are likely to remain in focus as the November election draws near. The issue highlights the challenges states face in maintaining accurate voter rolls while balancing concerns about both election integrity and voter access. As federal and state officials continue to monitor the situation, the debate over how best to address noncitizen registrations is expected to continue through the election season and beyond.