The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case about whether states can remove people from voter rolls in the weeks before an election. The case involves Arizona and asks a basic question: Does federal law stop states from removing noncitizens from voting lists close to Election Day?

A 1993 federal law called the National Voter Registration Act says states cannot run large-scale voter removal programs in the 90 days before an election. That period is sometimes called the "quiet period." Arizona says removing noncitizens is different from the kind of removal programs the law was written to control. Groups fighting the removal say the law applies to all removals and that when states try to verify citizenship, they often accidentally remove people who are allowed to vote.

The federal government filed a brief about the case in May 2026, showing it was paying attention before the Supreme Court decided to hear it.

What the Law Says

The 1993 law stops states from removing large numbers of voters in that 90-day window before elections. Voting rights groups say that even when states try to remove only noncitizens, they often mistakenly remove eligible voters too — people who are citizens or naturalized immigrants who have the right to vote. The question for the Court is whether the law's ban on "large-scale" removals covers citizenship-based purges. Arizona says no. Groups fighting the removal say the law clearly applies to all removals.

Other Cases About Voter Removal

This is not the only fight over voter removals. In North Carolina, civil rights groups blocked a Republican effort to remove about 225,000 voters from the rolls. Another case is looking at voter removal efforts in multiple states.

Some states and political groups have used a tactic called "voter caging." They mail letters to registered voters and remove people whose mail bounces back. Critics say this method is unreliable for finding ineligible voters.

In Congress, a bill was introduced to strengthen protections against voter removal. It has not passed.

What the Court's Decision Could Mean

If the Supreme Court says the federal law does not restrict noncitizen removals, states will be able to remove voters from the rolls closer to elections. If the Court says the law does restrict these removals, states will have to follow stricter timing rules.

The Court will likely hear arguments in late 2026 and issue a decision in spring or summer 2027. That timing means the ruling will be settled before the 2028 election.