The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a bombshell ruling in favor of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, authorizing state authorities to begin the process of removing upward of 1,600 voters from the rolls before Election Day.

Youngkin, a Republican, in August directed election officials to begin the process of removing potentially thousands of voters who evidence suggests are minors or noncitizens and therefore ineligible to vote. The action ran up against a federal law limiting states’ abilities to amend voter rolls within 90 days of an election, which the U.S. Justice Department cited in suing to stop the purge. A federal judge sided with the Biden administration, but Youngkin’s successful appeal to the highest court now ensures he can move forward with election integrity efforts.

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In their filing, state authorities say enforcement of a provision of the National Voter Registration Act defies “common sense,” and “mandates a variety of disruptive measures.” An injunction issued by the lower court will harm “Virginia’s sovereignty, confuse her voters, overload her election machinery and administrators, and likely lead noncitizens to think they are permitted to vote, a criminal offense that will cancel the franchise of eligible voters,” state officials wrote, according to CBS News. Counterarguments by the Justice Department claimed that the Quiet Provision within the NVRA should apply to state actions and that Youngkin is targeting “only a discrete set of identified voters.” If the courts do not allow all registered voters to cast ballots, “eligible citizens will suffer unjustified burdens on their right to vote — potentially including disenfranchisement,” wrote Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.

Supreme Court justices siding with Virginia in the 6-3 decision include the court’s conservative wing as well as Chief Justice John Roberts. In dissent were the court’s three liberal justices: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The success in Virginia portends similar success in Alabama where state officials were stifled by the DOJ during a voter purge. Prosecutors sued, saying Alabama’s actions – 84 days before Election Day – would eliminate the voting rights of 2,000 individuals. State officials will now surely cite the high court’s decision in their appeal.

SCOTUS rules 6-3 in allowing Virginia to purge their voter rolls, including the removal of 1600 noncitizens.

MASSIVE win for Trump. pic.twitter.com/0oOArN3UCE

— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) October 30, 2024

Although Youngkin has served as a popular first-term Republican governor, former President Donald Trump appears unlikely to win the state: FiveThirtyEight shows him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris by an average of 6.3%. Still, the decision has repercussions in a number of swing states and districts where challenges to voter eligibility are pending. Arizona Democrats, led by Gov. Katie Hobbs, are in disarray after 100,000 ballots were incorrectly mailed to the wrong individuals. Earlier this week, a ballot box in Washington state’s swing congressional district was lit ablaze, destroying hundreds of ballots. A message in support of the Palestinian cause was found alongside an incendiary device dropped into the box, according to ABC News.

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