Virginia AG hails Supreme Court decision as a significant victory for election security.

On Wednesday, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares stated that the Supreme Court's order stopping a lower court's decision to restore hundreds of potential noncitizens to the state's voter rolls was a significant victory for the rule of law.

"The Supreme Court's order is a significant victory for the rule of law, as it allows Virginia to enforce its laws that prevent noncitizens from being on its voter rolls for the upcoming elections, ensuring that 1,500 plus noncitizens are not added back to the rolls."

"Miyares expressed gratitude for the Supreme Court's quick decision on the issue, stating that it was a reaffirmation of their commitment to election integrity and security for all Virginians."

Miyares commended the Virginia Attorney General's office for the "tremendous effort" they put into upholding and defending Virginia law over the past two weeks.

Miyares expressed pride in his team's commitment to the rule of law, stating that their exemplary behavior during the process was commendable.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals granted the state's stay application pending appeal on Wednesday, with Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson notably dissenting.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin won a victory just days after the state filed an emergency appeal to halt a lower court decision that ordered it to restore the names of approximately 1,600 individuals to its voter rolls.

The Supreme Court's order today is a victory for commonsense and election fairness. I am grateful for the work of Attorney General Jason Miyares on this critical fight to protect the fundamental rights of U.S. citizens, as stated by Youngkin.

The main issue in the case was whether Virginia had breached the "quiet period" under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which mandates that states cease all "systematic" voter roll maintenance for 90 days prior to a federal election.

The state, including Miyares in his official capacity as Virginia Attorney General, was sued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) over its removal program earlier this month. Youngkin maintains that the state's process is "individualized" and complies with both state and federal law.

In August of this year, Virginia implemented a voter roll maintenance program that compared the state Department of Motor Vehicles’ list of self-identified noncitizens with its list of registered voters. As a result, individuals without citizenship were flagged and informed that their voter registration would be canceled unless they could prove their citizenship within 14 days.

The DOJ contended that the state's removal of voter registrations occurred too near November 5th, violating the NVRA's quiet period provision. This claim was supported by a judge in Alexandria, who ordered the state to halt its removals and reinstated the registrations of the 1,600 individuals who had been removed.

Planet Chronicle Digital's Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.