In a surprising move, Maine’s top election officials have officially barred former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot, citing the 14th Amendment’s “insurrectionist ban.”
This decision, following the recent Colorado Supreme Court ruling, marks the second state to disqualify Trump from electoral contention. Advocates hail it as a significant victory in upholding constitutional safeguards against anti-democratic insurrectionists.
The decision, announced by Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, comes after an administrative hearing on Trump’s eligibility, prompted by a challenge from a bipartisan group of former state lawmakers. Bellows, emphasizing the gravity of the situation, justified the move by pointing to the unprecedented nature of a presidential candidate being linked to insurrection.
Trump’s legal team is expected to challenge the decision in state court, setting the stage for a legal battle. Bellows acknowledges the historical significance, noting that no Secretary of State has ever denied a presidential candidate ballot access based on the 14th Amendment’s Section Three. However, she underscores the unprecedented circumstances, as no presidential candidate has previously been associated with insurrection.
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“I do not reach this conclusion lightly,” Bellows wrote. “Democracy is sacred … I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.”
This decision adds momentum to Trump’s critics, following the Colorado ruling, and raises anticipation for a potential intervention by the U.S. Supreme Court. The 14th Amendment, ratified post-Civil War, prohibits individuals engaged in insurrection from holding future office but lacks clarity on enforcement methods.
Despite Trump’s denial of wrongdoing related to January 6, 2021, legal challenges persist, intensifying the debate on the application of constitutional provisions in contemporary politics.
