Maine official retracts Trump ballot ban
Votes for Donald Trump in Maine Primary to be Counted After Supreme Court Ruling
Votes cast for former President Donald Trump in Maine’s primary on Super Tuesday will now be counted, thanks to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court. The court determined that states cannot remove Trump from the ballot using Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
The decision came after Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, withdrew the ban on Trump in a modified ruling that took into consideration the Supreme Court’s recent decision in the case of Trump v. Anderson from Colorado.
“The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that individual states lack authority to enforce Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment with respect to federal offices,”
Bellows stated. “Consistent with my oath and obligation to follow the law and the Constitution, and pursuant to the Anderson decision, I hereby withdraw my determination that Mr. Trump’s primary petition is invalid.”
In December, Maine became the second state, following Colorado, to disqualify Trump from the ballot due to his alleged violation of the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause in relation to the U.S. Capitol breach on January 6, 2021.
Trump appealed the decision to the Maine Superior Court, arguing that Bellows was biased and made a decision based on unreliable evidence. The decision was put on hold by a judge until the Supreme Court ruled, and the state’s top court declined to intervene before the ruling.
This Supreme Court ruling comes just in time for Trump, as both Colorado and Maine have their GOP primaries scheduled for Super Tuesday. Another state, Illinois, which had initially barred Trump from the ballot, will now hold its GOP primary on March 19.
Trump is currently leading the GOP primary race with 273 delegates, compared to Nikki Haley’s 43 delegates. If he secures the nomination, Trump could potentially face President Joe Biden in a rematch of the 2020 general election.
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However, as Trump continues his presidential campaign, he also faces numerous criminal and civil cases, some of which are connected to the events of January 6. Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The Supreme Court recently announced that it will be addressing the issue of whether Trump can claim presidential immunity to protect himself from federal prosecution in a 2020 election case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. An oral argument for this case is scheduled for the week of April 22.
How did the recent Supreme Court ruling in the case of Trump v. Anderson impact the decision to count Trump’s votes in Maine’s primary?
Preme Court could review the case.
The Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the case of Trump v. Anderson from Colorado played a significant role in the decision to count Trump’s votes in Maine’s primary. The court determined that states do not have the authority to remove a candidate from the ballot for federal offices under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. This ruling served as the basis for Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ withdrawal of the ban on Trump in a modified ruling.
Secretary Bellows, a Democrat, stated that she made the decision in accordance with her duty to uphold the law and the Constitution. She cited the Anderson decision as the precedent for her withdrawal, stating that she could no longer maintain her determination that Trump’s primary petition was invalid.
Maine’s disqualification of Trump from the ballot in December due to the alleged violation of the 14th Amendment’s insurrection clause sparked controversy. Trump appealed the decision, accusing Secretary Bellows of bias and unreliable decision-making. The appeal prompted a judge to put the decision on hold until the Supreme Court could review the case.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, Maine joins Colorado in allowing Trump’s votes to be counted in the primary. Both states had initially disqualified Trump from the ballot but were subsequently overruled by the Supreme Court. This ruling sets a precedent that states cannot use the 14th Amendment to remove a candidate from the ballot for federal offices.
The decision to count Trump’s votes in Maine’s primary has ignited further debate and discussion about the limitations of states’ powers in regulating the electoral process. It highlights the importance of legal interpretation and the role of the Supreme Court in shaping election laws and regulations. The outcome of this ruling could have far-reaching implications for future elections and the boundaries of state authority over the electoral process.
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