Five Election-Related Legal Cases You Should Know About This Week

October 11, 2024

The League is at the forefront of the most important federal and state cases across the United States. Here’s a list of the top five election-related legal cases you should know about this week. For case summaries, timelines, and additional information regarding our litigation practice, please visit LWV’s Legal Center. For press inquiries, email us at [email protected].   

1. Federal/ Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights v. Beals  (NVRA voter purges) 

   The Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights and the League of Women Voters of Virginia filed a lawsuit in federal court to challenge the state’s policy of illegally and systematically removing voters from the rolls only one month before the upcoming election. The plaintiffs are represented by Campaign Legal Center, the Protect Democracy Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Advancement Project. 

    

2. Federal/ LWVFL v. Desantis (Hurricane relief/voter registration) 

   The League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL), represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), filed emergency litigation to reopen the voter registration period in Florida after Gov. Ron DeSantis failed to extend the Oct. 7 deadline, which fell between hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

    

3. Federal/ Quinn v. Raffensperger (voter purges).

   On October 2nd, the League of Women Voters of Georgia and partner organizations filed a motion to intervene on behalf of voters in this case filed by two voters who challenged the state's voter roll maintenance policy. The League sought to intervene as defendants to protect their members’ right to vote, noting in the filing that removing voters this close to the election would violate the NVRA. The League is represented by Advancement Project, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Southern Poverty Law Center, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and Arnold & Porter.

    

4. Federal /Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice v. Allen (voter purges) 

   The League of Women Voters of Alabama, the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice, the Alabama State Conference of the NAACP and four individual Alabamians who have been unfairly targeted by the state’s illegal voter purge filed a lawsuit against the state of Alabama. The lawsuit comes on the heels of a letter the advocacy organizations sent to notify Secretary of State Wes Allen that Alabama’s voter purge program, which purges naturalized U.S. citizens from the state’s voter rolls shortly before the 2024 election, violates the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The League is represented by Fair Elections Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center. 

    

5. Pennsylvania/ New PA Project Education Fund v. Schmidt  State  (voter access/protection) 

   League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania and other plaintiffs filed an Application for Extraordinary Relief Under Court's King's Bench Jurisdiction on September 25, 2024. On October 5, 2024, the PA Supreme Court denied the petition, refusing to hear the case, because of the confusion election law changes could cause this close to the election. Counties must continue rejecting undated and wrongly dated mail-in ballots unless they have a notice and cure process in place.

    

   The League of Women Voters envisions a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate. We believe in the power of women to create a more perfect democracy.