Spencer Geiger (left) and Carl Johansen protest for equal marriage outside the Walter E. Hoffman U.S. Courthouse as oral arguments in the case of Bostic v Rainey proceed on February 4, 2014 in Norfolk, Virginia. (Photo by Jay Paul/Getty Images)

Same-sex couples in Virginia could start getting married as early as next week after a federal appeals court said today that they won’t delay its ruling striking down the state’s ban on gay marriage.

In February, Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage was struck down, after a federal judge ruled that it violates Due Process and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit upheld that ruling after

Today’s ruling by a panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond comes after Northern Virginia county clerk requested the court stay the decision while it appealed the ban to the Supreme Court. According to AP, “the appeals court’s order did not explain why it denied that request.”

In light of the appeals court ruling, NBC4 reports that “the Virginia Attorney General’s Office says the earliest licenses could be issued is Wednesday, August 20.” Alliance Defending Freedom, the group that’s representing Michele McQuigg, the county clerk who wanted the appeals court to delay its ruling, said that they’re seeking the emergency stay “as soon as possible,” and the request will go to Chief Justice John Roberts.

In a statement, Virginia’s attorney general, Mark Herring, “throughout this process, we have fought for the principle of equality, moving the case forward in a swift and orderly way. That is why I have asked the Supreme Court to review the case to quickly and definitively resolve the issue for the Commonwealth and all the states. Because the 4th Circuit’s order does not take effect until at least August 20, clerks cannot yet issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It’s also possible that the Supreme Court could issue its own stay, as it has done in similar cases, especially since the Prince William County Clerk is requesting a stay.”

He added that “no one anticipated we would be this close this quickly to the day when all Virginians have the right to marry the person they love. That will be a historic day for our Commonwealth and a joyous day for thousands of loving couples.”

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