A federal law bans late voter roll purges. Republicans are pushing to reinterpret it
NPR – Politics
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Summary
People stand near a voter registration table at a 2022 event in Fredericksburg, Texas. Congress passed this ban on late mass purges to make sure any eligible voters who mistakenly get caught up in a purge have enough time to resolve issues and cast their ballots. Much of that uncertainty is the result of a brief, unexplained ruling the Supreme Court's conservative majority made before the 2024 election, allowing a Virginia program for removing suspected noncitizens to continue during that year's quiet period. On Monday, the Supreme Court agreed to the Republican National Committee's request to take up an Arizona-based case that could narrow the quiet period's scope. Mi Familia Vota , which also touches on an Arizona requirement for U.S. citizenship documents when registering to vote, is not expected until next year. Still, the Supreme Court's conservative majority allowed the purge to continue — with no explanation. "This is part of what has come to be known as the 'shadow docket,' " explains Dan Tokaji, dean of the University of Wisconsin Law School, referring to the short emergency orders the Supreme Court often issues to pause lower court rulings. Still, Tokaji says the Supreme Court's 2024 ruling that sided with that program leaves open questions about what the high court would allow states to do during this year's quiet period. Circuit Court of Appeals that found individualized removal programs would not be banned during the quiet period. "If a state runs a database search that identifies thousands of voters using the same criteria, is that really individualized?" says Edobor, who co-wrote a University of Richmond Law Review article about Virginia's voter removal program.
From the source
There's a ban on most states systematically purging voter rolls within 90 days before Election Day. Republicans are pushing courts to reinterpret that longstanding protection for eligible voters. (Image credit: Eric Gay)
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