Illinois Election Board to Consider Removing Trump from Primary Ballot Over Insurrection Provision
The Illinois State Board of Elections is set to meet on Tuesday to discuss whether or not to keep former President Donald Trump on the state’s primary ballot. This comes after a recommendation was made to remove him from the ballot due to the Constitution’s insurrection provision.
The meeting, which is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, comes just over a week before the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a similar case from Colorado. In that state, the highest court ruled that the 14th amendment barred Trump from the ballot due to his involvement in the January 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Last week, a hearing officer for the Illinois board stated that the decision should be left to the courts, as the issue involves complex constitutional matters. However, the opinion from Clark Erickson, a retired judge and Republican, concluded that there was enough evidence to prove that Trump engaged in insurrection and should therefore be barred from the ballot.
The petition to remove Trump from the ballot was filed by five voters, who argued that he is ineligible under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. This Civil War-era provision states that anyone who took an oath to support the Constitution and then “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” is not eligible to hold office.
This effort to keep Trump off the Illinois primary ballot by raising federal constitutional questions is similar to attempts in other states. So far, it has been successful in Colorado and Maine, where the Democratic secretary of state also recommended removing Trump from the ballot. However, the decision in Maine is currently on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court makes a ruling.
Free Speech for People, a national voting rights group, has been actively involved in the Illinois effort and has praised the recommendation to remove Trump from the ballot. They argue that Illinois law allows the board to make this decision.
“We expect that the board and ultimately Illinois courts will uphold Judge Erickson’s thoughtful analysis of why Trump is disqualified from office, but – with the greatest respect – correct him on why Illinois law authorizes that ruling,” said Ron Fein, legal director for the group, in a statement on Sunday.
The Trump campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment on this matter.
The Illinois election board is made up of eight members, with an equal split between Democrats and Republicans. In order for Trump’s name to be removed from the ballot, a majority of the board must vote in favor. If the vote ends in a tie, 4-4, the effort to remove Trump fails and his name will remain on the ballot.
This decision by the Illinois State Board of Elections is a crucial one, as it will determine whether or not Trump will be allowed to run for office in the state’s primary election on March 19th. The outcome of this meeting will also have implications for other states facing similar challenges.
It is important to note that this is not a political issue, but rather a matter of upholding the Constitution and ensuring that those who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion are not allowed to hold public office. The Illinois board has a responsibility to uphold the law and protect the integrity of our democracy.
In conclusion, the Illinois State Board of Elections has a difficult decision to make, but it is one that must be made in order to uphold the values of our country. We can only hope that they will make the right decision and remove Trump from the primary ballot, sending a strong message that insurrection and rebellion will not be tolerated in our democracy.
