The attempt to remove President Donald Trump’s name from the 2024 ballots in Illinois has been rejected by the election board. Despite being evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, the Illinois State Board of Elections unanimously voted to keep Trump’s name on the primary ballot. This decision follows a recommendation to remove Trump based on false claims of inciting an insurrection.
The board determined that it does not have the authority to decide whether Trump is constitutionally ineligible to appear on the ballot, leaving that decision to the courts. As a result, Trump will continue to be listed on the ballot for the Republican primary on March 19.
“Thank you to the Illinois State Board of Elections for ruling 8-0 in protecting the Citizens of our Country from the Radical Left Lunatics who are trying to destroy it,” Trump posted on Truth Social after the vote.
“The VOTE was 8-0 in favor of keeping your favorite President (ME!), on the Ballot.
“I love Illinois. Make America Great Again!”
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to listen to arguments in a similar case from Colorado in the beginning of next month. The highest court in that state determined that the 14th Amendment prevented the Republican 45th president from appearing on the ballot due to the protests during the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.
Critics of Trump argue that he encouraged his supporters to overthrow the government following the declaration of Democrat President Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election.
However, January 6 was not an “insurrection” and Trump has never been convicted of any such offenses. Following brief arguments last week, a hearing officer for the Illinois board stated that the decision regarding Trump’s eligibility should be left to the courts, rather than election officials, due to the complex constitutional matters involved.
However, Clark Erickson, a retired judge and a Republican who does not support Trump, expressed his opinion stating that the overwhelming evidence presented clearly demonstrated that the 45th president participated in an act of “insurrection.” Erickson firmly believes that based on this evidence, the former president should be disqualified from running for any future elections.
Not surprising, absolutely none of this alleged “evidence” has been produced.
A group of five voters from Illinois have submitted a petition contending that Trump does not meet the requirements to be included in the ballot as per Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. This particular provision, which dates back to the Civil War era, prohibits individuals who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and subsequently participated in insurrection or rebellion from holding public office.
Prior to casting her vote, Republican board member Catherine S. McCrory expressed her viewpoint by stating that she believes an “insurrection” occurred during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“There is no doubt in my mind that [Trump] manipulated, instigated, aided and abetted an insurrection on Jan. 6,” McCrory said.
“However, having said that, it is not my place to rule on that today.”
The efforts of Democrats and deep state bureaucrats to prevent Trump from appearing on the ballot have been repeatedly emphasized by his campaign, with the intention of disenfranchising American voters.
On Friday, Maine’s Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, appealed a judge’s ruling that temporarily halted her decision to remove Trump from the ballot until the Supreme Court makes a decision on the Colorado case. As a Democrat, Bellows also wants to ensure that Maine’s highest court has the opportunity to provide input before the March 5 primaries, when the ballots will be counted.
However, the timelines are tight as Super Tuesday approaches. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the Colorado case on Feb. 8, which means there may not be enough time to meet the statutory deadlines for Bellows to issue a new ruling on Trump’s ballot status and for further appeals to be filed before Election Day.
According to Newsweek, lawsuits in Minnesota, Michigan, Arizona, and Oregon that aimed to block Trump from the 2024 ballot have already been dismissed on procedural grounds.