Justices halt lower court ruling ordering state to restore registrations of 1,600 voters

Virginia does not have to restore the registrations of 1,600 voters, some of whom appear to have been wrongly removed, ahead of next week’s election, the US supreme court said on Wednesday.

The court made the decision on its emergency docket and did not give a rationale for its decision, which is customary for rulings on an expedited basis. All three liberal justices on the court – Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson – said they would not have halted a lower-court ruling earlier in October ordering the state to restore the voter registrations.

The legal dispute centers on a 7 August executive order by the Virginia governor, Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, directing the state to run its voter registration rolls against DMV data on a daily basis to check for non-citizens. The justice department and civil rights groups sued, saying that the state was violating a federal law that prohibits systematic removals of voters within 90 days of a federal election.

  • Flocklesscrow@lemm.eeEnglish
    15·
    4 hours ago

    John Roberts’ SCOTUS. Never forget his crocodile tears as he flushed all legacy from the judicial branch.

  • raynethackery@lemmy.world
    242·
    6 hours ago

    We’re done. Someone turn the light out.

    I won’t survive a civil war. I’m in my early fifties, overweight, have other health issues, have never held a gun, and don’t have any particularly special skills or training that would allow me to emigrate. I’m sure I’m not the only one with these kinds of issues. Everything for me is in this country. I vote and am in a deep blue state but if violence tears us apart, I’m not sure what I could do.

    I fucking hate all the people that think they are better off in a dictatorship. God is not coming back because he was never hear in the first place. But assuming I am wrong, how arrogant of you to think you could force his hand and accelerate his return. Also, the height of arrogance to think you would be “Raptured.”

    • horse_battery_staple@lemmy.world
      6·
      2 hours ago

      In the American revolution only one third of the population contributed to the war effort, a much smaller subset actually took up arms.

      The Civil War, only one tenth of the population fought.

      In any upcoming civil unrest, know that you’ll not need to fire a gun. Reach out to your local community. Talk to your neighbors. Mutual aid and collective security are what we need to fight fascists. Not necessarily guns.

  • beefbot@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    39·
    9 hours ago

    FTFY: Demonstrably unimpartial, conservative-stacked, publicly bribed court* rules in favor of the people who gave them money, to ensure they get more money.

    *except three of the nine members

  • Xtallll@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    15·
    8 hours ago

    Virginia has in person early voting up to 45 days before the election, it’s possible that someone who has already cast a ballot for this election could be removed from the voter registration.

      • Xtallll@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        10·
        6 hours ago

        IANAL, but either the vote is counted or not counted, but it’s an absurd possibility showing that it’s too close to the election to be doing these purges. Hell a particularly evil prosecutor could probably charge someone with voter fraud.

  • DominusOfMegadeus@sh.itjust.works
    971·
    11 hours ago

    The Supreme Court just straight up violated Federal Law. I’m floored right now. Just absolutely floored. I thought this was SO clear-cut, that even THIS court could not possibly justify a ruling like this. What…what do we even do at this point?

    • P_P@lemm.eeEnglish
      33·
      10 hours ago

      Soap Box Ballot Box Ammo Box

      or something along those lines.

      They’re taking the ballot box.

  • P_P@lemm.eeEnglish
    56·
    11 hours ago

    SCOTUS is irredeemably corrupt. Do you want a civil war? Because this is how you get a civil war.

  • killea@lemmy.world
    124·
    12 hours ago

    That is… unadulterated plain and simple clear as day election interference. If I didn’t know better I’d say our whole system is in collapse.

    • 418_im_a_teapot@sh.itjust.works
      14·
      7 hours ago

      When Kris Kobach was able to go through Kansas voter rolls and remove “foreign sounding” names with no real consequences, I knew it would start a trend. Here we are.

      Given this ruling I wonder what other voter registration purges we will see this week.

      I’m tired.

  • kmartburrito@lemmy.world
    46·
    11 hours ago

    Thankfully Virginia has same day voter registration, so at least some of them will be able to re-register on the spot. I’m sure some will be impacted by not having identification, etc, but this is better than many states that don’t allow same day registration when voting.

    Still, fuck those asshats. Is so telling when you see people trying to take away one’s chance to have their voice heard.

    • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
      24·
      11 hours ago

      You don’t need ID to register to vote in Virginia. You just need to fill out a form.

      You do need ID to actually vote, though. So bring it to the poll regardless.

    • partial_accumen@lemmy.world
      12·
      10 hours ago

      Thankfully Virginia has same day voter registration, so at least some of them will be able to re-register on the spot.

      Will would-be voters be TOLD that or will they just be turned away because they are told they aren’t registered to vote.

      • 418_im_a_teapot@sh.itjust.works
        10·
        7 hours ago

        … after standing in line for four hours.

        And how many of those won’t be able to get that time off work again or be able to get a babysitter again.

      • kmartburrito@lemmy.world
        6·
        10 hours ago

        It would hopefully go like this - “It doesn’t look like you’re registered, let’s do that now” but I’m not 100% sure.

    • gAlienLifeform@lemmy.world
      35·
      12 hours ago

      *obviously fucked up at something they’re not even allowed to attempt in the first place under the plain text of federal law, but whatever.

  • pinkystew@reddthat.comEnglish
    15·
    10 hours ago

    Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin ® signs executive order in August to cross check voters against citizenship, violating federal law. Later in October, this executive order is used as rationale for supreme Court emergency docket which removes voter registration for several thousand people in Virginia.

  • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
    8·
    10 hours ago

    We need to overhaul and stack this “supreme” court. After additional justices are added, special hearings should be convened to address the impartiality and graft of specific members of the court.