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Voters in Illinois, Massachusetts join effort to keep Trump off ballot

The states join Maine and Colorado in claims that Trump is not qualified to appear on the ballot due to his alleged role in the Capitol insurrection.
Posted at 10:14 AM, Jan 05, 2024

Voters in Illinois and Massachusetts have joined an effort to keep former President Donald Trump's name from appearing on the states' primary ballots.

In conjunction with a liberal advocacy group, voters filed challenges in both states, stating Trump should be removed from the ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Insurrection. The petition also claims that Trump has never expressed any regret after his supporters stormed the building in attempt to interfere in the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

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Illinois and Massachusetts join Maine and Colorado, which have ruled that Trump is not qualified to appear on the primary ballot because of a Civil War-era Constitutional clause that prohibits anyone who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding federal or state office.

The provision is nestled at the end of the 14th Amendment and has only been used a couple of times throughout history, but has gained renewed attention following the Capitol insurrection. 

It's worth noting that Trump has been accused, but never been indicted for engaging in an insurrection.

However, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to review the issue, which could settle the matter across the entire nation. These challenges come as Trump is dominating Republican primary polls despite his four criminal indictments: Three in federal court and one in Georgia regarding his alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results.