WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority on Wednesday left in place Virginia's purge voter registrations that the state says is aimed at stopping people who are not U.S. citizens from voting .
One Virginian, whose registration was canceled despite living in the state her entire life, called the purge “a very bad October surprise.” The high court, over the dissents of the three liberal justices, granted an emergency appeal from Virginia's Republican administration led by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The court provided no rationale for its action, which is typical in emergency appeals. The justices acted on Virginia's appeal after a federal judge 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.
The specter of immigrants voting illegally has been a main part of the political messaging this year from former President Donald Trump and other Republicans, even though such voting is rare in American elections . Trump had criticized the earlier ruling, calling it “a totally unacceptable travesty” on social media. “Only U.
S. Citizens should be allowed to vote,” Trump wrote. Youngkin said voters who believe they were improperly removed from the rolls can still vote in the election because Virginia has same-day registration.
“And so there is the ultimate, ultimate safeguard in Virginia, no one is being precluded from voting, and.