JASON MIYARES: Just last year, we removed nearly 80,000 deceased voters from our rolls.

And shockingly, we also identified over 6,300 individuals without US citizenship.

Also on our Virginia voter rolls.

They have also been removed.

ANGIE MILES: In the name of election security, Virginia has taken some highly publicized steps to protect the vote, including the establishment of an election integrity unit in Attorney General Jason Miyares office.

The removal of tens of thousands of names from state voter rolls and the rollback of automatic vote restoration for former felons.

Among Republicans in particular, there's been a hard push for more poll watchers to keep an eye on polling places and report concerns back to the party.

And this year, there's also been a push for more Republican poll workers to actually administer the elections in official capacities.

It is mostly Republicans who seem to be worried that there are bad actors and potential fraud affecting the outcome of our elections.

A Washington Post poll found far more Republicans than Democrats believe there is widespread fraud in elections.

And NPR polling revealed in 2021 that 90% of Democrats were concerned about ensuring access for all eligible voters.

While 75% of Republicans said stopping illegal voting was more important.

Virginia's efforts to allay fears and consistent approach to removing names from voter rolls has led to lawsuits.

ANNA DORMAN: We are suing on behalf of the League of Women Voters VACIR, which is the Virginia Coalition for Immigrants Rights, and ACT, which is African Communities Together.

The lawsuit argues two things.

The first is that pretty straightforwardly, these sorts of removal programs within the 90 days directly preceding an election are illegal under federal law.

And the second thing is that the way Virginia is implementing this policy is discriminatory because it disproportionately impacts naturalized citizens.

ANGIE MILES: The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth, claiming the Youngkin administration has illegally swept voters from the rolls less than 90 days before an election.

Governor Youngkin says no, the removal of these individuals is technically inbounds since each person is self-identified individually as a non-citizen.

ANNA DORMAN: So these purges are going on daily based on Department of Motor Vehicles data, which is problematic.

So this DMV data could be up to 20 years old and just a lot can happen in 20 years.

So people could have had changes of their naturalization status over that point in time.

We are excited that the Department of Justice is interested in this issue and our litigations overlap substantively and that we are both very concerned about these ongoing removals during that 90 day protected window.

ANGIE MILES: Youngkin calls he DOJ lawsuit politically motivated.

On the other side of that opinion are people with concerns.

“VICTOR”: I was in my mid- thirties when those rights left as part of my conviction.

My voting rights were restored, but now I'm confused whether or not I'm allowed to vote.

ANGIE MILES: Victor, who does not wish to be identified on camera, says he's very concerned that this campaign for fidelity is actually discouraging Virginians from voting.

“VICTOR”: The fact that there are any hurdles at all to a process that's supposed to be in place for you to work through and get your rights restored is going to weed out another layer of people that would have wanted to vote and feel like they can't.

Or even worse, are intimidated if they get as far as a polling place.

Having to even think about that has a chilling effect on voters in general.

Across the board, Republican or Democrat.

And that part needs to change.

ANGIE MILES: Restoration of rights following incarceration has been considered a social justice issue for decades during the Civil Rights Movement, leaders addressed poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses as veiled attempts to keep some voters from casting ballots.

Human rights advocates today have suggested that the old threats are just resurfacing in new ways.

“VICTOR”: I believe in some states there are people who showed up and been jailed for voter fraud after having been told their rights were restored, having a piece of paperwork in their hand saying that, and they've been turned away or arrested.

That feels political.

ANGIE MILES: In Virginia and nationwide, those who make laws, those who enforce laws and those who must abide by laws are all working within a system that is being tested by a lack of trust and possibly by a need for more goodwill as well.