A federal judge has temporarily blocked Virginia from purging alleged noncitizens from its voter rolls, ordering that more than 1,600 individuals previously removed must be reinstated.
This decision came from Judge Patricia Giles, who found that the removal order from Governor Glenn Youngkin, issued on August 7, violated a federal rule that prohibits states from removing people from voter rolls within 90 days of an election.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) argued against the purge, noting that it could disenfranchise eligible voters and provided evidence that dozens of U.S. citizens had already been wrongfully removed from the rolls. Judge Giles emphasized that Youngkin’s order, issued exactly 90 days before the election, was not coincidental.
Governor Youngkin, however, contended that the reinstatement would allow noncitizens to potentially impact election outcomes and has vowed to appeal, stating that Virginia would seek an emergency stay from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and, if necessary, the U.S. Supreme Court.
This ruling adds further complexity to the already contentious 2024 presidential race, in which Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are locked in a close contest.
Source:
CNBC Image:
NBC
