In a ruling with major electoral implications, a federal judge has temporarily blocked Virginia’s attempt to scrub thousands from its voter rolls, arguing the timing clashes with federal law on last-minute purges before elections. The decision, issued Friday by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles, mandates that Virginia reinstate recently purged voters, adding urgency to the electoral landscape just days before Americans cast their ballots on November 5, where Donald Trump and Kamala Harris head the presidential race.
The directive confronts an executive order signed in August by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, which called for rapid-fire daily updates to the state’s voter rolls to remove individuals who could not verify their citizenship. The controversial order faced immediate backlash, culminating in a lawsuit from the Justice Department, which argued that the policy led to the unwarranted removal of registered citizens.
As the legal battle intensifies, Virginia has announced plans to appeal and may even escalate the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. Governor Youngkin asserts that the process is essential for maintaining the integrity of the vote. Judge Giles, however, pointed to a federal mandate that restricts large-scale voter roll modifications within 90 days of an election—a period known as the “quiet provision.”
Judge Giles noted the August timing of Youngkin’s order, observing that its launch on the 90th day before the election was “no accident.” Meanwhile, former President Trump decried the ruling, urging a reversal by the Supreme Court, calling it a “totally unacceptable travesty.”
