Supreme Court Lets Virginia Purge Voter Rolls for Election
- Lower courts halted state’s removal of suspected noncitizens
- Virginia canceled registrations of estimated 1,600 residents
Voters wait in line to cast their ballot in Arlington, Virginia, on Oct. 26.
Photographer: Kent Nishimura/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The US Supreme Court let Virginia carry out a purge of an estimated 1,600 residents from its voter rolls, dividing along ideological lines in an early test of the role the justices may play in next week’s presidential election.
Over the dissents of the three liberal justices, the court paused a lower court ruling that said Virginia’s bulk cancellation of voter registrations, aimed at removing noncitizens from the rolls, violated a 90-day pre-election “quiet period” under federal law. As is often the case with emergency orders, the court gave no explanation.