Youngkin mandates all paper ballots for presidential elections in Virginia
Gov. Glenn Youngkin codified an executive order on Wednesday that requires elections to use all paper ballots as part of wider security protocols implemented under his administration.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is ordering all votes for the 2024 presidential election to be cast by paper ballot.
Youngkin issued Executive Order 35 on Wednesday, which codifies election security protocols established under his governance for all future elections.
"The Virginia model for Election Security works. This isn't a Democrat or Republican issue, it's an American and Virginian issue," Youngkin said in an announcement. "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."
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One of the most notable requirements of the security protocol is the exclusive use of paper ballots with a traceable chain of custody, offering a more concrete record of votes cast than widely-used electronic voting machines.
Other aspects of the Virginia voting security protocol include the use of DMV data to verify voter identity, offline counting machines and more.
"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," Young said.
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The governor added, "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."
Former President Donald Trump celebrated the codification of Youngkin's protocols, writing on his proprietary social media platform Truth Social that Virginia is "taking a strong lead in securing the election in November."
"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," Trump continued. "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!!!"
Election security is a major concern for both political parties heading into this November's presidential election.
Over the last few elections, both Republicans and Democrats have made various accusations of illegal manipulation of voters.