Maine’s Supreme Court Declines to Intervene in Trump Ballot Dispute, Upholding Judge’s Decision

Maine’s highest court has opted not to intervene in the debate over whether former President Donald Trump should be included on the state’s ballot. The decision preserves a lower court ruling, which stated that the U.S. Supreme Court must first address a similar case in Colorado.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, had determined that Trump did not meet the ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitution. However, a judge temporarily halted this decision, pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s verdict on the comparable case in Colorado.

In a unanimous decision on Wednesday, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court dismissed Bellows’ appeal, emphasizing that the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s ballot status was not a sufficient reason for immediate appellate review.

The court stated, “The Secretary of State suggests that there is irreparable harm because a delay in certainty about whether Trump’s name should appear on the primary ballot will result in voter confusion. This uncertainty is, however, precisely what guides our decision not to undertake immediate appellate review in this particular case.”

Bellows’ initial decision in December marked her as the first election official to bar the Republican figurehead from the ballot under the 14th Amendment. The Colorado State Supreme Court reached a similar conclusion.

With Maine’s primary on March 5 fast approaching, the timelines are tight. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the Colorado case on Feb. 8, and Maine has already started mailing overseas ballots.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, prohibiting those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office, has never been ruled upon by the nation’s highest court. Some legal scholars argue that this post-Civil War clause is applicable to Trump for his involvement in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election and inciting his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol after losing to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump contends that Bellows should have recused herself, accusing her of bias against him. He asserts that her actions disenfranchised Maine voters and were part of a broader effort to keep him off the ballot. Bellows, elected by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, maintains that she was obligated by state law to make a determination after several residents challenged Trump’s eligibility for the primary ballot. She placed her decision on hold pending judicial proceedings and pledged to abide by the court’s final ruling.