Supreme Court Upholds Virginia Voter Registration Purge

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Virginia can proceed with the removal of suspected non-citizens from its voter rolls, a decision that stays two lower court rulings that deemed the actions illegal. Governor Glenn Youngkin's administration initiated the purge, which involved over 1,600 voters, just days before the November election, citing concerns over non-citizen voting. The court's decision, made without explanation, split along ideological lines, with the three liberal justices dissenting. Former President Trump expressed support for the ruling, criticizing previous court decisions that blocked the removals as 'a totally unacceptable travesty.' Legal challenges continue, with the Justice Department and various organizations arguing that the removals violate federal laws designed to protect legitimate voters. Critics assert that such mass purges can lead to the wrongful disenfranchisement of eligible voters, as indicated by U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles, who permitted individual removals but opposed systematic purges.