FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
THURSDAY, JULY 6, 1995                             (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

          JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SUES VIRGINIA FOR REFUSING
        TO COMPLY WITH THE NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Justice Department today sued the
state of Virginia to ensure that it would comply with the National
Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) -- a law that simplifies
voter registration and has led to an increase in registration in
states across the country.
     Under the NVRA, states are required to provide voter
registration for federal elections at motor vehicle locations and
other state agencies, as well as through the mail.  Unlike most
states which had to comply by January 1, 1995, Virginia was granted
another year in order to amend its state constitution.
     Earlier this year, the Virginia legislature passed a bill that
would have brought the state into substantial compliance by the
January 1, 1996 deadline.  However, Governor Allen vetoed the bill. 
In May, the state sued the Justice Department alleging that the law
is unconstitutional.  Three U.S. District Courts and a federal
Court of Appeals have rejected similar suits by other states and
upheld the law's constitutionality.
     "This is a common sense-law that makes it easier for all
Americans to participate in the democratic process," said Attorney
General Janet Reno.  "Already, millions of Americans across the
country are benefiting from this law -- one day millions of
Virginians will too." 
     In just half a year, the NVRA has boosted voter registration
in many states.  Nearly 2 million citizens have registered across
America since the law went into effect January 1.  For example, in
Georgia, 180,000 people registered between January and March --
compared to only 85,000 all last year.  In Alabama, 43,000 people
registered to vote in the first three months of this year --
compared to only 23,000 people during the same time last year.
   Today's countersuit seeks an order requiring the state to
comply with the law on January 1, 1996.
     "We cannot understand why any elected official would stand in
the way of making it easier to register to vote," said Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights Deval L. Patrick.  "It is
unfortunate that taxpayer dollars would be wasted fighting a legal
battle that has lost in the courts time and time again."
     When Congress passed the law, it recognized that one-third of
all adult Americans move during each two-year Congressional
election cycle.  In cases where voters move shortly before
registration deadlines, they can find it difficult to re-register
in time at their new address.  Voter registration offices are often
inaccessible or closed.  As a result, many eligible, willing voters
are unable to vote.
     Although almost every state has worked to comply with the law,
the Justice Department has been forced to sue a handful of states
for refusing, including Illinois, Pennsylvania, California, South
Carolina and Michigan.  U.S. District Courts in Illinois,
California and Pennsylvania upheld the constitution-ality of the
NVRA and ordered those states to comply.     
     Pennsylvania decided not to appeal the decision.  Illinois
lost on appeal to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and then
decided to comply with the law.  California chose to appeal but has
been ordered to comply by the Ninth Circuit while the case is
pending.  The District Court in South Carolina has yet to issue an
opinion and the Michigan case has yet to be heard.
     In addition to Virginia, Arkansas and Vermont were provided
additional time to comply and four states -- Minnesota, North
Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming -- are exempt from the law because
they already had same-day or no registration prior to the enactment
of the law.
     "With the exception of a handful of states, every state is
complying or working towards complying with the law," added Reno. # # # 
95-376