Removal of Trump's Name from Ballots in Maine; Final Decision Lies with the U.S. Supreme Court

On Thursday, January 7, the state of Maine deemed former President Donald Trump ineligible to compete in the primary voting phase of next year's presidential election, citing the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution. Shina Bellows, the Democratic Secretary of State of Maine, became the first elected official in the U.S. to unilaterally remove Trump's name from the ballots. Earlier in December, the Colorado Supreme Court had also removed Trump's name from ballots based on the third clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, pending the U.S. Supreme Court's final decision on whether Trump was 'involved in insurrection and rebellion.' Trump's campaign announced it would appeal Bellows' decision in the Maine Supreme Court. Bellows also suspended her decision until the court issues a final ruling but stated she had fulfilled her legal duty. Steven Chung, a spokesperson for Trump's campaign, called the action 'election theft' and 'depriving Americans of their voting rights.' Bellows cited Trump's involvement in the January 6, 2021, insurrection as a violation of the third clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, acknowledging the unprecedented nature of her decision in her 34-page ruling: 'No presidential candidate has ever participated in an insurrection.' Bellows' decision follows challenges to Trump's election stance from some residents of Maine, including a bipartisan group of former lawmakers. The exact timing of the U.S. Supreme Court's final decision on Trump's eligibility for the upcoming presidential election is unclear, but both supporters and opponents are calling for a swift session and final ruling on the matter. Plaintiffs in the Colorado case previously requested the U.S. Supreme Court to issue its final ruling before March 6, when the Republican primary voting will occur simultaneously in 16 states, including Maine and Colorado. The Supreme Court must formally accept the case, and legal experts believe it will certainly do so. The third clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, prevents those who have broken their oath to 'support' the U.S. Constitution from holding public office. Trump has sought immunity in the 2020 election case.