Maine removes Trump from state’s presidential primary ballot under insurrection clause

Under the insurrection clause of the Constitution, Maine’s Democratic secretary of state removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot on Thursday. This action made her the first election official to act unilaterally in a decision that could have an impact on the Electoral College.

While Maine has just four electoral votes, it’s one of two states to split them. In a contest that is anticipated to be closely contested, keeping Trump off the ballot in Maine, where he secured one of the state’s electors in 2020, could have enormous ramifications.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision comes after the Colorado Supreme Court’s December decision to remove Trump from the ballot in that state in accordance with Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. Colorado is a Democratic-leaning state where Republicans are not anticipated to have much competition in November.

As per PTI, Bellows found that Trump could no longer run for his prior job because his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol violated Section 3, which bans from office those who “engaged in insurrection.” Bellows made the ruling after some state residents, including a bipartisan group of former lawmakers, challenged Trump’s position on the ballot.

A day after Trump’s attorneys asked her to withdraw due to allegedly biased tweets, she made her decision. She lamented that Trump wasn’t found guilty by the US Senate after being impeached by the US House and referred to the attack on the US Capitol as a “insurrection.”

In terms of Trump’s political career, Bellows won’t have the last say. The courts of Maine may hear an appeal of her decision. Early in the new year, the US Supreme Court is anticipated to render a definitive ruling regarding Trump’s eligibility to run for next year’s presidential election.

Activists urged state election officials to remove Trump from primary ballots under section 3.

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