NORFOLK, Va. — The Youngkin administration can continue its purge of certain voter registrations in Virginia. On Wednesday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority granted an emergency appeal that allows a state program – which proponents have argued is meant to stop suspected non-citizens from voting – to continue.
Before the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling, a federal judge had found that the state illegally purged more than 1,600 voter registrations in the past two months. A federal appeals court had previously allowed the judge's order to remain in effect.
A main part of the political messaging this year from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans has been the specter of immigrants voting illegally, even though such voting is rare in U.S. elections.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other Virginia politicians have weighed in on Wednesday's SCOTUS ruling:
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R)
We are pleased by the Supreme Court’s order today. This is a victory for commonsense and election fairness. I am grateful for the work of Attorney General Jason Miyares on this critical fight to protect the fundamental rights of U.S. citizens. Clean voter rolls are one important part of a comprehensive approach we are taking to ensure the fairness of our elections. Virginians also know that we have paper ballots, counting machines not connected to the internet, a strong chain of custody process, signature verification, monitored and secured drop boxes, and a 'triple check' vote counting process to tabulate results. Virginians can cast their ballots on Election Day knowing that Virginia’s elections are fair, secure, and free from politically-motivated interference.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R)
"When this began, I promised Virginians we would take this case all the way to the U.S Supreme Court if necessary. Today, I am pleased to report the Court granted our request for an emergency stay. This ruling ensures that – with less than a week before the elections – Virginians can vote with confidence knowing Virginians will be choosing our elected officials. I am grateful that the Supreme Court recognized the importance of this issue and issued its decision in such a short time frame.
"This ruling is a win for election integrity and the rule of law. While I am gratified the Court moved so quickly, I remain deeply concerned and alarmed that the Biden-Harris administration chose to execute this maneuver just 25 days before an election. Today’s ruling is a reaffirmation of our commitment to election integrity, and I look forward to ensuring that our electoral process remains secure for all Virginians.
"My heartfelt thanks goes out to our entire team at the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, and all of those who tirelessly worked to present our best possible case on behalf of the Commonwealth. My further thanks is extended to the 26 fellow attorneys general who stood in unity with Virginia in this case.
"I encourage all Virginians to vote with confidence in the integrity of our elections on November 5th."
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (D, VA-03)
"I am deeply disappointed and disturbed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to greenlight blatant voter suppression efforts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This decision will allow Governor Youngkin to strip Virginians of their right to vote in clear violation of federal law. This decision also perpetuates the falsehood that noncitizens are voting in meaningful numbers and former President Trump’s plan to undermine confidence in our elections.
“The National Voter Registration Act is clear. It requires all states to complete any systematic removal of voters from its voter rolls 90 days before a federal election. This statute gives states ample time prior to this deadline to review its voter rolls. Most importantly, it provides voters sufficient time to rectify any improper removal prior to Election Day. U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles determined that Governor Youngkin’s actions violated this statute, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld her order citing the Commonwealth’s defense of the action as ‘weak’ and that it ‘violates basic principles of statutory construction.’ Furthermore, the Fourth Circuit recognized that the Commonwealth maintains the ability to remove ineligible voters on an individualized basis to limit the risk of improper removals.
“Unfortunately, this latest order by the Supreme Court is just one in a series of rulings that have rolled back fundamental rights, freedoms and foundational principles of our democracy. This Court gutted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, stripped women of their right to make decisions about their own body, diminished the ability of federal agencies to protect communities from toxic pollutants, and created the foundation for a President of the United States to be immune from the law.”
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D)
In a post to X, Speaker Don Scott said: "The stay does not equal a win. Unfortunately, The Governor's scheme to block legal eligible Virginia voters has temporarily worked. It's a sad day for the Commonwealth and the country."
Virginia Senate Republican Leader Ryan McDougle
"Election integrity is the cornerstone of our democracy. Today's victory marks an important step toward restoring common sense to our electoral process. I thank Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares for continuing this fight. The Constitution of the United States is clear: only American citizens can vote in American elections. It's that simple."
Virginia House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert
“Today’s Supreme Court order isn’t just a victory for the Commonwealth of Virginia: it’s also a victory for common sense. Noncitizens cannot vote in our elections, and as such, people who self identify as noncitizens should be required to clarify their citizenship status. Without this order, the Biden-Harris administration would have forced as many as 1,600 self-identified noncitizens back onto the voting rolls. Congratulations to Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares on a job well done."
Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones (D)
"The Supreme Court has cleared the way for Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares to deny eligible citizens their freedom to vote just days before Election Day. This is outrageous, and an assault on the most fundamental underpinnings of our democracy. Make no mistake: I will always defend our freedom to vote, our elections, and our democracy, and on Tuesday and in 2025, Virginians will reject this extremism."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
