Legal and Political Context
The allowed to resume its voter registration purge, aiming to exclude non-U.S. citizens, overruling a federal judge's and appeals court's halt on the action. This decision came from an emergency appeal by Virginia's Republican Gov. , with no provided rationale.
Former President and other Republicans have heavily emphasized the narrative of preventing illegal voting by immigrants, criticizing previous rulings that halted the purge as "unacceptable".
Implementation and Criticism
The purge, part of an executive order by Gov. Youngkin, was criticized for potentially removing eligible voters, including U.S. citizens, by relying on data checks between the DMV and voter rolls. This approach was deemed illegal under the 's 90-day quiet period rule.
Critics, including the and private groups, argue the systematic purge violates federal law and could disenfranchise legitimate voters. Similar concerns arose in , where a federal judge ordered the restoration of over 3,200 voters deemed noncitizens.