Ahead of the upcoming election, the Supreme Court permitted Republican officials in Virginia to continue its plan to remove fake or non-citizen voters from the voter rolls. This overrules a previous decision by a federal judge that stopped Virginia from doing this and asked the state to put back the names of 1,600 voters who were taken off the rolls. The decision was made with a 6 to 3 vote, reflecting differing ideologies, with three liberal justices on the court dissenting.
Virginia’s governor, Glenn Youngkin Statement
Virginia’s governor, Glenn Youngkin, praised the decision and said in a statement that it ensures fair and secure elections. He said, “This is a victory for commonsense and election fairness. Virginians can cast their ballots on Election Day knowing that Virginia’s elections are fair, secure, and free from politically-motivated interference.”
In Virginia, voters can register to vote on the same day as the election, which means that if someone who is eligible was removed from voter rolls, they can still register on election day and cast their vote.
Plan was Challenged by Civil rights groups
However, this plan was challenged by Civil rights groups, supported by the Biden administration. They argued that this plan has led to removal of some legal voters from the voter rolls. The Justice Department said that although the states can review its voter lists, they are not allowed to do so right before an election. According to the National Voter Registration Act, starts are not allowed to remove people from voters list within 90 days of an election.
The state considered people for removed from the voter list if they checked a box on a Department of Motor Vehicles form stating that they are not a citizen or if they didn’t fill out that box at all.
The groups that filed the lawsuit argued that the process affected people who may have stated that they were not citizens at that time, but have since become US citizens. The Civil Rights groups and the Biden administration showed evidence showing that some US citizens were removed from the rolls because of this plan.
An attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Ryan Snow, who is representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement, “To say this decision is a disappointment is an understatement. The Supreme Court just ignored a key provision of the National Voter Registration Act and the clear fact that Virginia purged eligible voters on the eve of the election.”
U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles
U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles had last week instructed the state to halt its program and restore the voter registration of over 1,600 people who were removed in recent months. The state’s plan aligns with wider claims made by Republicans, especially by former President Donald Trump, who said that voting by noncitizen voters is rampant. This narrative could be used to challenge the results of upcoming elections if Trump doesn’t win.
Known for his strong anti-immigration views, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a legal brief supporting Virginia’s actions. Twenty-five other Republican state attorneys general joined him in his support.
