Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order on Friday requiring state agencies to establish data-sharing protocols for keeping the commonwealth’s voter rolls updated and accurate.
“The interagency exchange of data is a vital component of election administration in the Commonwealth,” Youngkin wrote. “Transparency and interagency collaboration are essential to ensuring that every eligible Virginian can exercise their right to vote and know that the list of registered voters is accurate and up to date.”
Under Executive Order 31, the Virginia State Police and respective Departments of Elections, Health, and Motor Vehicles are required to “update data sharing agreements between those agencies within 90 days” of the order’s effective date that “indicate the applicable state or federal law that permits the sharing of Commonwealth data, the designated contact for each agency, and any other responsibility to ensure the accuracy, reliability, privacy, and efficiency of the data used for list maintenance.” Once updated, these agreements will be reviewed once every year, according to the directive.
The order additionally instructs various state departments to develop a multi-agency “data review work group,” which will analyze and issue guidance on the accuracy and security of data given to and used by the Department of Elections for maintaining the state’s Voter Election Registration Information System. These agencies may also collaborate with “other stakeholders” on the working group if and when “deemed necessary.”
“This effort shall develop comprehensive best practices across agencies and offer recommendations that make necessary and effective changes to the Commonwealth’s list maintenance
