Voter outrage, concern sparked by US Supreme Court’s endorsement of Virginia’s voter purge

The US Supreme Court’s decision last week to uphold Virginia’s voter registration purge has stirred concerns and frustration among some voters and advocacy groups, who view the ruling as politically motivated and a barrier to voter rights. However, other northern Virginia residents support the governor’s actions and though the Supreme Court ruling made sense.

The ruling upheld Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order allowing the removal of over 1,600 voters, many flagged due to outdated Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) records. The decision overturns a lower federal court ruling that previously found the purge illegal.

“I think it was politically motivated,” said Monica S., who came today to the DMV in Prince William County to vote. She declined to offer her full surname.

“It’s always wrong to purge voters in the voting rolls. Many of the people who were purged were American citizens, and it is wrong to try to prevent people from being able to vote,” she said.

However, Deborah Baxter, a representative of the Republican Women of Prince William, said that she supports Youngkin’s actions and that the Supreme Court’s ruling is “common sense.”

“These were people that self-identified as not eligible to vote. So he was following the law, something that was enacted under a previous Democratic governor,” Baxter said.

“So, the Supreme Court got it right. It’s common sense. We need to really start using common sense,” she said.

Ryan Snow, a counsel for the Voting Rights Project of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, disagreed.

“It’s a lie,” Snow said. “There’s no evidence that non-citizens are voting at all in Virginia at least 20 years,” he added.

Some critics decried the court for not providing a rationale for its ruling, which is typical in emergency appeals.

“The Supreme Court then overturned that without even bothering to explain their reasoning, and that is definitely very frustrating,” said Anna Dorman, a counsel   focused on combating anti-democratic disinformation at Protect Democracy.

Dorman said the ruling was extremely disappointing as well as frustrating for the voters in Virginia, who, she said, are left confused about the situation and what it means for their ability to vote.

“I think that among the group of people who were purged, there’s a lot of fear, but it generalized sense within the community, more broadly, that voting is not something that they are welcome to participate in Virginia, that’s what makes me sad. It makes me angry,” said Dorman.

Snow said that the court used its so-called shadow docket for issuing impactful rulings without public reasoning, casting doubt on the credibility and inclusivity of the electoral process.

“It’s dangerous and it’s damaging to the credibility of the court,” he said.

Youngkin said earlier this week on a Facebook post that he is “pleased by the Supreme Court’s order,” adding that it’s a “victory for commonsense and election fairness.” As for any improperly removed voters, he said they can still vote in the election as Virginia has same-day registration.

The controversy centers around the timing and rationale of the voter roll purge. Under the National Voter Registration Act, systematic maintenance of voter rolls is prohibited within 90 days leading up to an election.

“This is a clear violation,” said Snow.

 “This was a clearly illegal urge, you cannot engage in systematic risk maintenance, essentially list maintenance, or removing people from the roles, or removing people without doing individualized investigations into their eligibility.”

While Virginia does provide same-day registration, many activists see the voter roll purge disproportionately impacting immigrant communities and first-time voters and creating new barriers to participation instead of removing potentially existing ones.

Tram Nguyen, co-executive director of New Virginia Majority, said these are immigrants in this country who came from different backgrounds, and the message that this ruling sends to them is, “hey, you don’t belong here.”

Tram said she was disappointed with the ruling since it will make it more difficult for voters to participate rather than fostering a welcoming environment for all voters, this decision creates barriers that could dissuade individuals from exercising their right to vote.

“One of the most beautiful aspects of America is the right to vote,” she said.

Activists and voter rights advocates told the Wash that they are mobilizing to educate individuals about their rights and the voting process to ensure that the message of inclusive participation resonates throughout the community in light of recent legal decisions that have created confusion regarding voter eligibility.

“There’s a test on their citizenship. So, I want people to know if they were purged, it sucks. It’s unfair, but they can vote, and they should vote,” said Dorman