Republican Attorneys General Challenge Court Ruling on Voter Rights
In a significant move ahead of the upcoming elections, twenty-six Republican attorneys general have joined Virginia in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that reinstated voting rights for 1,600 residents. This coalition supports Virginia’s view that the ruling is excessively broad and misinterprets provisions of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which prohibits states from conducting systematic voter roll maintenance within 90 days of an election.
The attorneys general’s amicus brief, submitted Monday, underscores the importance of maintaining the “status quo” to prevent noncitizens from participating in the electoral process. They argue that the Justice Department’s interpretation of the NVRA, which claimed that the voter removals violated the “quiet period” rule, is significantly flawed. They contend that Virginia’s law aims to ensure accurate voter rolls and is consistent with a 2006 law initiated by then-Governor Tim Kaine.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason S. Miyares maintain that the voter removals were executed legally and claimed that the lower court’s rulings mischaracterize the removal process as systematic rather than individualized. They warn that restoring voting rights just before the election could lead to chaos during the voting process.
In their brief, the attorneys general argue against the broader implications of the lower court’s ruling, suggesting it could compromise the constitutional authority of states to set voter qualifications. This collaborative effort from Republican-led states draws significant attention as the nation moves closer to the election, highlighting ongoing debates about voter rights and election integrity.
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