A judge in Virginia on Friday rejected a request by state Democrats to reinstate about 40,000 voters from state voter rolls.
The judge’s ruling is the latest in an ongoing legal battle between state Democrats, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R) over the rolls because the voters registered in other states. Critics of the purge argue that it’s an attempt to help Cuccinelli win the gubernatorial election; he’s currently trailing behind Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in the polls. But U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton on Friday said that Democrats had not provided sufficient evidence to prove that the purge was politically motivated.
“I just don’t find that there’s a strong showing here of any inequitable treatment or the deprivation of anyone’s rights,” Hilton said according to The Washington Post.
Democrats are expected to appeal the ruling.
The Democratic Party had sued Cuccinelli, McDonnell and the state Board of Elections over the purge saying 57,000 names had been removed. Court filings said that in the end 38,000 names had been removed from the rolls, according to the Post.
