Washington, DC [US], January 5 : Groups of voters from Illinois and Massachusetts filed motions on Thursday to remove former US President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, CNN reported.
The two states have been added to the list of states where Trump faces a challenge to his candidature under the 14th Amendment's insurrectionist ban.
In Illinois, the challenge filed in conjunction with the liberal advocacy group Free Speech For People has urged the Illinois Board of Elections to hold a hearing on the matter and stop Trump from appearing on primary and general election ballots due to his role in the US Capitol attack that occurred on January 6, 2021, according to CNN report.
In the petition to the board of elections, the voters wrote, "Donald J Trump, through his words and actions, after swearing an oath as an officer of the United States to support the Constitution, engaged in insurrection or rebellion, or gave aid and comfort to its enemies," as defined by Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
In the petition, the voters said Trump "has never expressed regret that his supporters violently attacked the US Capitol" and threatened lawmakers inside. It stated that "Trump has not apologized to anyone, either on his own behalf or on behalf of his supporters, for the January 6 attack." The party affiliation of the voters, if any was not mentioned.
The same advocacy group on Thursday filed a challenge to Trump's eligibility to appear on Massachusetts ballots for primary and general presidential polls in the state. According to the group, the challengers include former Boston Mayor Kim Janey, a Democrat and "a mix of Republican, Independent, and Democratic voters."
The challenges have been filed by the voters at a time when the US Supreme Court is expected to review a state court ruling in Colorado which found that Trump is ineligible to contest the presidential elections. Although the Colorado court's ruling is only applicable to the state, any decision from the justices could settle the matter for the entire nation.
Each state has different set of rules on how judgements are made on challenges like these. Some challenges begin in the courts, while others are initially handled by state election officials, like a Secretary of State, CNN reported.
Last week, Maine's Secretary of State Shenna Bellows removed Trump from that state's 2024 primary ballot. After her action, Trump's legal team has appealed against her decision in state court.
The Oregon Supreme Court could soon announce a decision on another bid to remove Trump from the state's primary and general election ballots due to his role in the January 6 insurrection. Meanwhile, the judges in Michigan and Minnesota have rejected bids to block Trump from appearing on the primary ballot in those states.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has requested the US Supreme Court to overturn the Colorado state Supreme Court ruling that removed him from the state's 2024 ballot under the 14th Amendment's "insurrectionist clause," CNN reported.
In the filing, Trump's attorneys wrote, "In our system of 'government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people,' Colorado's ruling is not and cannot be correct," CNN reported. The Supreme Court is facing mounting pressure to decide whether Trump can be disqualified from holding public office.
On December 19, the Colorado Supreme Court in its decision said Trump is constitutionally ineligible to contest in 2024 as the 14th Amendment's ban on insurrectionists holding office covers his conduct on January 6, 2021.
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