Governor Glenn Youngkin today issued Executive Order 35, formalizing one of the nation most stringent election security procedures. These measures include stringent ballot security protocols, comprehensive counting machine testing, and top-tier voter list maintenance practices.
“The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn’t a Democrat or Republican issue; it’s an American and Virginian issue. Every legal vote deserves to be counted without being watered down by illegal votes or inaccurate machines. In Virginia, we don’t play games, and our model for election security is working,” Governor Youngkin stated.
The Governor elaborated on the specifics of Virginia’s approach: “We use 100% paper ballots with a strict chain of custody. We use counting machines, not voting machines, that are tested prior to every election and never connected to the internet. We do not mass mail ballots. We monitor our drop boxes 24/7. We verify the legal presence and identity of voters using DMV data and other trusted data sources to update our voter rolls daily, not only adding new voters but scrubbing the lists to remove those that should not be on it, like the deceased, individuals that have moved, and non-citizens that have accidentally or maliciously attempted to register.”
The Executive Order mandates the Commissioner of the Department of Elections to certify annually in writing that these improvements are maintained. It also outlines procedures for handling non-citizens attempting to register to vote, involving referral to local Commonwealth’s attorneys and the Office of Attorney General.
Former President Donald Trump praised Youngkin’s actions on Truth Social, stating:
“The beautiful Commonwealth of Virginia, superbly led by Governor Glenn Youngkin, is taking a strong lead in securing the election in November — protecting every legal vote and keeping illegal aliens that have been let into our country from voting. All votes will be on paper ballots and counted safely and fairly, not by machines connected to the internet — a big security risk. We must work hard to make sure the election is fair and secure. Every state should follow Virginia’s lead. We need volunteers to watch the polls — so important. The election on November 5th will be the most important election in our country’s history. Thank you, Glenn, great job!”
