Judge orders Virginia to restore 1,600 voter registrations purged ahead of the election

A federal judge has ordered Virginia to restore more than 1,600 voter registrations that she said were illegally purged in the last two months in an effort to stop noncitizens from voting. The judge granted the injunction request Friday after a hearing in Alexandria, Virginia. The injunction was sought by the Justice Department, which claimed the voter registrations were wrongly canceled during a 90-day quiet period ahead of the November election that restricts states from making large-scale changes to their voter rolls to prevent errors. State officials said at the conclusion of Friday's hearing that they will appeal.