RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today signed an executive order to strengthen Virginia’s comprehensive approach to protecting election integrity, improve Virginia’s election security processes and interagency cooperation at the state level, and reenter Virginia into the 26-state Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC).
Governor Spanberger’s executive order directs the Commissioner of the Department of Elections to certify each year that election security procedures are in place as it relates to ballot security, the testing and certification of vote counting machines ahead of each election in which the machines are used, and multi-level accuracy checks of results conducted by election officials.
“I know it feels like it is always election season in Virginia,” said Governor Spanberger. “With even more days of voting on our calendar this year, I’m acting early to strengthen Virginia’s transparent, robust voting process and protect the rights of all eligible Virginia voters. The actions Virginia is taking today are not only critical to allowing all eligible Virginia voters to register and cast their ballot, but to making sure that only Virginians who are eligible to vote are able to vote in our Commonwealth — this year, and in every election into the future.”
Accuracy and Integrity of Voter Lists
As part of her order, Governor Spanberger is directing the Department of Elections to certify that “any program for which the purpose is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the voter registration system based on evidence of ineligibility — including evidence of lack of eligible residence or evidence of non-citizenship” has been completed “not later than 90 days prior to the date of a federal primary or general election.”
Additionally, the Governor’s order requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to certify that the agency shares information on a daily basis with the Department of Elections as it relates to new eligible voters, voters who have moved, updates to existing voter registrations, and ineligible voters. The order also requires the Department of Elections to certify that after receiving this information, the agency takes required list maintenance actions in compliance with state and federal law.
Rejoining the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)
Governor Spanberger also began the process for Virginia to rejoin ERIC — a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with 26 member states that share voter registration and identification data to better keep accurate voter rolls. In 2012, Virginia was one of the founding states to create ERIC under the direction of former Governor Bob McDonnell. In May 2023, Governor Glenn Youngkin pulled Virginia out of ERIC — making it more difficult for Virginia’s election administrators to identify voters who have moved out of Virginia, who have updated their contact information, who have duplicate registrations in Virginia, and who have passed away.
Click here to read the full text of Governor Spanberger’s Executive Order 13.
