Attorney General Gentner Drummond has expressed approval for the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to permit Virginia to remove non-citizens from its voter roll. This follows an amicus brief filed by Drummond and 25 other state attorneys general, urging the court to stay a preliminary injunction that prevented Virginia from taking such action. The Supreme Court issued the stay earlier today.
"This is a victory for election integrity," stated Drummond. "I am pleased the court affirmed the authority of states to police voter qualifications and keep non-citizens from voting."
The brief argued against a prior decision by the Eastern District of Virginia Court, which temporarily halted Virginia's efforts to remove non-citizens from its voter roll. According to Drummond, this decision could have led Congress to mandate that states allow non-citizens to vote in elections, contradicting both state and federal laws when non-citizens are identified on rolls within 90 days of an election.
"Non-citizens are not eligible voters. They were not eligible voters before Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act, they were not eligible when Congress passed the NVRA and they are not eligible today," stated the brief.