In a recent development, Shenna Bellows, the Secretary of State for Maine, is seeking the intervention of the state's Supreme Judicial Court in her bid to exclude former President Donald Trump from the ballot.
Bellows made the announcement on Friday, requesting the court's adjudication on her prior decision to remove Trump's name from the electoral list.
Bellows stated, "Like many Americans, I welcome a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in the Colorado case that provides guidance as to the important Fourteenth Amendment questions in this case." This statement comes in the wake of Trump's appeal against Bellows' ruling earlier this month. However, the court deferred its decision until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on a similar case in Colorado, deeming it "imprudent" to rule beforehand.
Nonetheless, Bellows is urging Maine's highest court to make a preemptive decision on the legality of disqualifying the former president. "In the interim, Maine law provides the opportunity to seek review from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court which I requested today. I know both the constitutional and state authority questions are of grave concern to many," Bellows expressed, emphasizing her persistent efforts.
She further added, "This appeal ensures that Maines highest court has the opportunity to weigh in now, before ballots are counted, promoting trust in our free, safe and secure elections."
In a related development last December, the Colorado Supreme Court barred Trump from appearing on the state's ballots in 2024. The disqualification, enacted under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, is linked to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
"We do not reach these conclusions lightly," the majority of the court wrote. "We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us. We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach."
In the aftermath of Colorado's decision, Trump's eligibility to appear on election ballots for the primary or general elections has been contested in over a dozen states.
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