The secretary of state of Maine declared in writing that Donald J. Trump was ineligible to run for office due to his involvement in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The former president’s candidacy for reelection was blocked by Maine’s top election official on Thursday. The state is the second to do so, citing allegations that Trump’s attempts to stay in office until the 2020 election disqualified him.
Her colleague in California, which has the largest population in the country, declared hours later that Mr. Trump would still be on the ballot there, despite election officials’ limited ability to remove candidates.
Shenna Bellows, the secretary of state for Maine, agreed with a few citizens who argued that Mr. Trump had incited an insurrection and was therefore ineligible to run for president again under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. She wrote in her decision that Mr. Trump did not qualify for the ballot because of his involvement in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6.
“I am aware that no secretary of state has ever used Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to deny a presidential candidate access to the voting box. However, I am also aware that no presidential candidate has ever before taken part in insurrection,” Democratic candidate Ms. Bellows wrote.
By a vote of 4 to 3, the Colorado Supreme Court decided last week that the former president was ineligible to participate in the state’s Republican primary.
The contradictory rulings highlight the continuous conflicts in the US over democracy, voting rights, and the rule of law. It also intensifies the calls for the US Supreme Court to step in and resolve the contentious political issue surrounding his eligibility.
In an attempt to prevent Mr. Trump from taking office, attorneys on both sides are requesting clarity from the country’s highest court regarding a little-known provision of a post-Civil War constitutional amendment, just weeks before the first ballots in the 2024 election are scheduled to be cast.
The main tactic used to prevent Mr. Trump from seeking a third term in office is an obscure clause in a post-Civil War constitutional amendment that both sides are requesting guidance on from the country’s highest court, just weeks before the first ballots in the 2024 election are scheduled to be cast.
The Republican Party’s inclusion of Mr. Trump on its primary ballots cannot be stopped by election officials, according to court rulings in two other states: Minnesota and Michigan.
On Wednesday, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the decision made by an appeals court to allow political parties to select presidential candidates was correct.
Ms. Weber responded last week by saying she intended to let state and federal courts decide the matter. The state has previously dismissed at least two cases contesting Mr. Trump’s eligibility. In her letter, Ms. Weber stated that it was her duty to respond to inquiries about ballot eligibility “within legal parameters” and “in a way that transcends political divisions.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom stated last week that he did not think state officials in his state ought to take Mr. Trump off the ballot. In a statement, he added, “There is no doubt that Donald Trump poses a threat to our liberties and even to our democracy, but in California, we elect politicians who we disagree with.” “Everything else serves as a diversion from politics.”