Hecker Fink and State Democracy Defenders Fund File Amicus Brief in U.S. Supreme Court in Beals v. Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights

On October 29, 2024, Hecker Fink LLP and the State Democracy Defenders Fund filed an amicus brief on behalf of 17 former Republican Members of Congress in the United States Supreme Court in Beals v. Virginia Coalition for Immigrant Rights. The brief urged the Supreme Court to deny an emergency application that would allow Virginia to resume an unlawful, last-minute systematic removal process concerning its voter rolls. 

The brief supports Respondents’ argument that this effort, initiated exactly 90 days before the 2024 elections, violates the structure and intent of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which several amici supported when Congress passed the legislation in 1993. The NVRA created a so-called “Quiet Period,” which forbids state officials from taking systematic efforts to purge voter rolls within 90 days of an election. Allowing such action to occur poses too high a risk that eligible voters will be improperly removed without sufficient time to restore their registration status. Virginia’s actions flagrantly ignore the protections that Congress incorporated into the NVRA. Federal courts can and should intervene to ensure that eligible voters can cast their ballots, as Congress intended.

The brief, which can be read in full here, reflects the firm’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections, and the maintenance of the rule of law in our democracy. 

The Hecker Fink team includes Joshua Matz, Jacob Glick, Madeline Verniero, and Jamie Piltch. The State Democracy Defenders Fund team includes Gabe Lezra and Diamond Brown.