There’s a difference between requirements for registering to vote and voting.
The VA voter registration form requires a verifiable SS#. ID required for registration is less stringent than for voting. I.e., a bank statement or utility bill will do. Initially that was to verify the voter’s address to determine their precinct, congressional district, etc., but no requirement to establish their actual ID beyond SS#. I imagine the legislature will tighten that up, as they just did the voting ID requirements. http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/forms/vavoterregistrationapplication2014.pdf
We don’t have same day registration in VA. Voters have to register a few weeks before the election (IIRC, this year the deadline was Oct. 15. It used to be 29 days). Any registered voter then has to produce photo IDs from the more stringent list to get a ballot to vote.
I wish you had saved/bookmarked the article. Honestly, I find it very difficult to believe that many thousands of illegals voted in VA’s election yesterday. To accomplish an illegal vote, one has to have a verifiable SS#, and some govt- or institution-issued ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.). And, no one was prepared for a close statewide election in the Old Dominion, either.
It’s not impossible for those determined to cheat, but not as easy as it once was, either. The photo ID law passed in VA thanks to retiring Cong. Jim Moran’s idiot son/campaign mgr, who was caught on tape tutoring on how to vote illegally. The legislature is also working to eliminate ‘double voters,’ i.e., those who live in nearby MD and will cross the river to vote in VA.