Virginia House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) issued the following statement Thursday on the Democratic Party of Virginia’s lawsuit against Virginia’s voter photo identification law.

“This is another politically-motivated lawsuit funded by George Soros and out of state interest groups who are seeking to manipulate the court system in order to benefit the Democratic Party.

“Public polling suggests that three quarters of Virginians support our photo ID law because the measure just makes sense. It protects the rights of individuals and the integrity of the democratic process. More than a dozen states have enacted photo ID laws, which have been upheld by the United States Supreme Court on multiple occasions. I am completely confident this law will withstand this disingenuous challenge.”

George Soros Bankrolls Democrats’ Fight in Voting Rights Cases, New York Times, June 5, 2015

Mr. Soros has already agreed to put as much as $5 million into the litigation effort, which Democrats hope will erode restrictions on voter access that they say could otherwise prove decisive in a close election.

The lawsuits — which are being led by a lawyer whose clients include Mrs. Clinton’s campaign — are attacking a variety of measures, including voter-identification requirements that Democrats consider onerous, time restrictions imposed on early voting that they say could make it difficult to cast ballots the weekend before Election Day, and rules that could nullify ballots cast in the wrong precinct.

Republicans have argued that the new laws are much-needed protection against election fraud, and dismiss the litigation — which could soon expand to cases in Georgia, Nevada and Virginia, Democrats say — as little more than a gambit to energize minority voters in support of Democratic candidates.

Virginia Voters Back Photo Id For Voting 3-1, Quinnipiac Poll, February 21, 2013

Virginia voters say 75 – 23 percent that voters should be required to bring photo ID to cast their ballot on Election Day, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Support for the photo ID requirement is 95 – 4 percent among Republicans, 57 – 41 percent among Democrats, 78 – 20 percent among independent voters, 79 – 19 percent among white voters and 66 – 34 percent among black voters.