News Releases

MEDIA CLIPS: Attorney General Jones Announces Voter Protection Section 

RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jay Jones announced the launch of the Office of the Attorney General’s Voter Protection Section. Attorney General Jones launched this section to address the continued erosion of the federal Voting Rights Act, Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on our democracy, and his administration's efforts to impede access to the ballot.    

PRESS RELEASE: Attorney General Jay Jones Announces Voter Protection Section    

“I was raised by people who understood that the right to vote was never simply given. Generations of Americans had to sacrifice, organize, and show extraordinary courage to claim that right,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “That history is personal to me, and it reminds us that the work of civil rights and voting rights is never finished.   

“That is why we created a dedicated Voter Protection Section within the Office of the Attorney General. This work now has a permanent home, and a team focused every day on defending voting rights and enforcing Virginia law. Virginia votes every year, and protecting the franchise must be a year-round responsibility. In Virginia, the right to vote will be defended.”   

Richmond Times-Dispatch: AG Jones creates Voter Protection Section 

Attorney General Jay Jones has created a new section within his office, this one dedicated to what he described as protecting voter rights. 

The Voter Protection Section, launched Tuesday, will focus on protecting Virginians’ right to register, vote and have their votes counted. 

Jones’s office said he created this section in order to “address the continued erosion of the federal Voting Rights Act, (President) Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on our democracy and its fundamental institutions, and his administration's efforts to impede access to the ballot.” 

The announcement comes after a Supreme Court ruling in April narrowed a key provision of the Voting Rights Act used to challenge discriminatory voting maps. Jones also joined other state attorneys general in challenging new Postal Service mail-ballot rules; in September, the Supreme Court left a lower-court order blocking those rules ahead of the midterms. 

In April, the Republican National Committee sued to block a narrow group of U.S. citizens living abroad from voting in Virginia based on a parent’s last address in the state, a law Jones’ office is defending. In a separate case, a federal judge approved a June settlement barring election officials from rejecting eligible college students’ voter registrations over missing dormitory details that are not needed to determine their voting precinct. 

Jones’ office said legal victories are critical to protecting ballot access, but there is still a need to make sure that laws are observed and that violations are consistently enforced. 

WWBT: Virginia attorney general launches voter protection section ahead of midterms 

Virginia is less than three weeks from the midterm elections, with early voting already underway. 

Attorney General Jay Jones has launched a voter protection section. Jones said the section addresses what he calls the continued erosion of the federal Voting Rights Act. 

Virginia Mercury, WHRO, and Fauquier Now: Virginia AG launches voter protection unit ahead of midterm elections 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones on Tuesday announced a new Voter Protection Section, creating a team of dedicated lawyers to investigate voting rights violations and enforce state election laws three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.  

The section will investigate improper voter registration cancellations, absentee ballot denials, voter intimidation and interference with election administration.  

Jones, a Democrat, said the moves comes as federal voting rights protections face challenges and President Donald Trump’s administration seeks greater control of how states conduct elections.  

Early voting is underway in Virginia, where a recent court battle has kept new federal restrictions pushed by Trump on mail ballots from taking effect this fall. 

CBS19: Jones launches new AG section focused on voting rights 

A new state-level group aims to protect voters while the federal Voting Rights Act is being weakened. 

On Tuesday, Attorney General Jay Jones announced the launch of the Voter Protection Section of the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. 

According to a release, this section will address the continued erosion of the Voting Rights Act, attacks on democracy and its fundamental institutions, and efforts to impede access to the ballot. 

Its core mission is to protect a Virginian’s right to register to vote and to have their vote counted properly. 

Jones says it will be focused on ensuring that election laws are carried out fairly and free from interference. 

The section will enforce Virginia’s election laws, including the ones that guard against improper registration cancellations and absentee ballot denials, as well as interference with voting or election administration. 

"I was raised by people who understood that the right to vote was never simply given. Generations of Americans had to sacrifice, organize, and show extraordinary courage to claim that right. That history is personal to me, and it reminds us that the work of civil rights and voting rights is never finished,” said Jones. “That is why we created a dedicated Voter Protection Section within the Office of the Attorney General. This work now has a permanent home, and a team focused every day on defending voting rights and enforcing Virginia law. Virginia votes every year, and protecting the franchise must be a year-round responsibility. In Virginia, the right to vote will be defended.” 

The release says the new section will also enforce the Virginia Voting Rights Act and the various laws protecting voters with disabilities or military voters who cast absentee ballots. 

WSET: Virginia AG Jay Jones launches voter protection section to safeguard ballot access 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced the launch of a new Voter Protection Section aimed at safeguarding Virginians’ right to vote and ensuring access to the ballot. 

Jones said the new section will work with polling officials at polling sites and will also be prepared to protect voting rights in the courtroom if necessary. The AG's office will work to ensure that election laws are followed and carried out fairly, free from unlawful interference. 

“We will make sure that there is no intimidation, harassment, any interference at the polls for people who are supposed to go vote, who are trying to exercise their right as permitted under the law,” Jones said. “We want to make sure that every vote is counted. We want to make sure that everybody has the opportunity to go and do that.” 

Jones encouraged Virginians to take advantage of their right to vote and said his office will work to ensure voters are protected while casting their ballots. 

NBC29: Virginia AG launches voter protection section as early voting continues 

With early voting underway ahead of Election Day, Virginia’s election security is drawing attention. 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones announced on Tuesday his office is adding another layer of election oversight through the Voter Protection Section. 

“Virginia’s elections are safe, they’re fair, and they’re secure,” Jones said. “We don’t have issues of fraud. We don’t have issues of irregularities with our elections. This unit will continue to make sure that that stays the same.” 

The new section is designed to enforce Virginia’s voting rights laws, address complaints and respond to potential interference with the election process. 

That includes concerns about voter intimidation, harassment, improper restrictions on voting and other actions that could prevent eligible Virginians from casting their ballots. The section is also intended to provide an additional resource when voters encounter problems or have questions about their rights. 

Jones says his office will work with election administrators and law enforcement when necessary to address potential violations. 

“Everyone should follow the law, Jones said. ”If they don’t, that’s when we step in, along with elect, along with law enforcement, to make sure that our procedures and our elections are meeting the standard that they’re supposed to and that people can do so with confidence.” 

While the Office of the Attorney General is focused on protecting voting rights, election administrators are also explaining the procedures used to handle and count ballots. 

[...] 

In Virginia, voters generally mark paper ballots that are then counted using ballot scanners. The scanners tally the votes, while the original paper ballots are preserved as a physical record of the election. 

Paper ballots can be examined during recounts and used in post-election audits to check the accuracy of the results. 

“Everything is documented. There is a chain of custody to everything that happens from the mail voting process to early voting ballots that are being brought back to our vault where they’re kept securely,” Olsen said. “So, when we do have a legal challenge, we’re ready for all the evidence and all the information needed for something like that.” 

A chain of custody creates a record of who handled election materials and how they moved through the process. 

Beyond the procedures used to count ballots, Jones says his office is watching for potential actions by the federal government that could affect Virginia’s elections. 

He points to two legal disputes with the Trump administration — one involving federal access to Virginia’s voter registration information and another involving federal election requirements that his office argued could disrupt voting already underway. 

Jones says Virginia successfully challenged those actions and that his office will continue to respond to federal measures it believes violate the law. 

“This unit will continue to remain vigilant against threats from the federal government, but I’m really confident in our mail-in voting procedures here in Virginia,” Jones said. 

[...] 

According to the Office of the Attorney General, the new section will also address improper voter registration cancellations, discriminatory changes to polling locations, language access and obstacles facing voters with disabilities, students and military voters. 

For the registrars and poll workers, Jones says they deserve some recognition. 

“The folks who volunteer their time and their energy to man the polls, they are trained,” Jones said. “They work very closely with our office, with elect, to make sure that they know what to do.” 

Virginia offers 45 days of early in-person voting before Election Day, giving eligible voters an opportunity to cast their ballots before November. 

Jones is encouraging people to take advantage of that option and to contact his office if voters encounter problems. 

“People can go and cast their ballot with confidence and knowing that they have a say in what happens in the future of Virginia as we chart our course,” Jones said. 

Published on: October 15, 2026

###