The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on Wednesday to allow Virginia to keep noncitizens off its voter rolls, a move that Republicans see as essential to preserving election integrity. Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who led the appeal, described the decision as a “victory for the rule of law” and criticized efforts by the Biden-Harris administration to intervene.
Miyares, who spearheaded the case, expressed frustration over what he described as a last-minute attempt to obstruct Virginia’s right to manage its voter rolls. He hailed the ruling as a necessary measure to ensure secure elections in Virginia, especially in today’s contentious political climate.
JUST NOW: In a 6-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that Virginia can remove illegal aliens from their voter rolls.
This is a reminder:
If you ARE NOT a United States citizen..
Then you SHOULD NOT be voting in United States elections.
Period.
End of story. https://t.co/7lPIQ18MSa pic.twitter.com/QOj7h529K3
— Byron Donalds (@ByronDonalds) October 30, 2024
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined Miyares in celebrating the ruling, emphasizing that Virginia’s approach to election security includes measures such as paper ballots and verified drop boxes. Youngkin pointed out that maintaining clean voter rolls is crucial for preventing outside interference in state elections.
This Supreme Court decision comes at a time when many are questioning the security of mail-in voting and drop boxes. Recent arson attacks on drop boxes in Oregon and Washington, which destroyed nearly 500 ballots, underscore the vulnerabilities associated with the “new normal” of mail-in voting. Officials in those states have voiced concerns that these attacks could become more frequent as Election Day approaches.
Protect Democracy, the group that initially challenged Virginia’s policy, argued that the purge of noncitizens might accidentally remove eligible voters. Aaron Baird, a spokesperson for the group, claimed there’s no evidence of noncitizen voting, warning that eligible Virginia voters could be caught in the crossfire of this purge.
As Election Day draws closer, this Supreme Court ruling fuels the ongoing national conversation over election security and how best to maintain fair and accurate voter rolls. For Virginia, the decision provides clarity, although the debate on election practices remains far from settled.
