The Maine Supreme Court ruled Wednesday night that it cannot move forward on whether former President Trump can remain on the state's ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a similar case that would have removed him from Colorado's ballot. The decision was made.
The state Supreme Court voted unanimously to deny Secretary of State Shena Bellows' appeal to wait for the Supreme Court's decision before reversing, amending or upholding her decision to remove President Trump from the vote on Super Tuesday in March. It was decided by consensus.
“The Secretary of State has indicated that irreparable harm will be caused by delaying certainty whether Mr. Trump’s name should appear on the primary ballot because it will confuse voters. “Certainty is what guides our decision not to conduct immediate appellate review of President Trump “in this particular case,” the court said.
Maine High Court suspends state's decision to exclude Trump from primary ballot
The Maine Secretary of State's decision to exclude former President Trump from the state's ballot remains in limbo until the Supreme Court rules on a similar case in Colorado. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Bellows ruled in December to disqualify him under the Constitution's sedition clause and exclude him from the primary ballot, but a judge put the decision on hold pending results in Colorado.
Trump, the Republican front-runner for president, said Bellows should have stepped down and accused him of being biased against him. He also said his decision plays into a larger effort by some Democrats to disenfranchise Maine voters and keep him from voting.
Bellows argued she was obligated to make the decision after several Maine residents challenged President Trump's right to vote, but ultimately vowed to abide by the court's ruling.
Maine Secretary of State Shena Bellows said she was required by law to remove President Trump from the ballot after several residents challenged his right to vote under the 14th Amendment. He said he felt it. (Getty Images)
Maine officials appeal to state Supreme Court to remove Trump from ballots
The Supreme Court has never ruled on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, the post-Civil War clause that bars anyone “involved in rebellion” from holding public office.
Some argue that Trump's role in trying to overturn his loss to President Biden in the 2020 presidential election and the events that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 amounted to an insurrection.
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The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the Colorado case on February 8th.
Super Tuesday will be held about six weeks later on March 5th.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
