Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows (D) has banned former President Donald Trump’s appearance on the ballot following a nine-to-zero Supreme Court ruling that ruled states did not have the authority to appear on the ballot. rescinded an earlier decision that it should be banned. Use the 14th Amendment’s “insurrection clause” to ban candidates from voting.
Bellows ruled in December that he believed Trump was ineligible to appear on the state’s ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, the “insurrection clause.” But she said at the time that the decision would not be implemented until the U.S. Supreme Court considers it.
“Specifically, we find that his candidacy declaration is false because he is not eligible to serve as president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment,” she said. wrote at the time. However, following the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling, she officially reversed her decision.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that individual states do not have the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment with respect to the powers of the federal government,” she said. I have writtenby hill.
“In accordance with my oath and duty to obey the law and the Constitution, and pursuant to the Anderson decision, I hereby reverse my determination that Mr. Trump’s first petition is invalid,” Bellows continued.
“As a result of the revised ruling, votes cast for Mr. Trump in the March 5, 2024 presidential primary will be counted,” she added.
Bellows’ update is another example of the gravity of Monday’s ruling, which overturned a controversial 4-3 Colorado Supreme Court opinion that similarly disqualified Trump from voting. It has been shown to effectively undermine all other efforts to strip it.
“This incident raises questions [of] Whether the states, in addition to Congress, can enforce Article III. “We conclude that a state may disqualify a person from holding or seeking to hold state office,” the court wrote in part.
“However, states do not have the constitutional power to enforce Article III with respect to federal positions, especially the presidential position,” he said, adding, “Giving states that power would be a reversal of federal and state powers under the 14th Amendment.” “It will reverse the balance,” he added.
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In a speech at Mar-a-Lago following the verdict, President Trump said President Joe Biden should stop “weaponizing” the case and start fighting “himself.”
“Let’s stop using prosecutors and judges to corner and damage our opponents. That’s how we win elections. Our country is much bigger than that.” Trump said, stressing that the attacks against him — “state, city, federal” — were “all coordinated.”
Trump added: “Voters can immediately remove that person from the race, but the courts shouldn’t do that. The Supreme Court has said it well.”
The case is Trump vs. AndersonU.S. Supreme Court No. 23-719.
