After Colorado, Maine excludes Donald Trump from the Republican primaries

Maine’s Democratic secretary of state removed Donald from the state’s presidential primary ballot on Thursday under the Constitution’s insurrection clause, becoming the first election official to take unilateral action as the Court Supreme Court of the United States is preparing to decide whether the former American president remains eligible to continue his campaign.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ decision follows a December ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court, which excluded Donald Trump from the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The ruling has been put on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether Donald Trump is excluded by the Civil War-era provision, which prohibits those who “engaged in an insurrection” to exercise a function.

The Trump camp has already said it will appeal Shenna Bellows’ decision in the Maine state courts, and it is likely that the highest court in the land will have the final say on the matter.

“I did not take this decision lightly”, explained Ms. Bellows in a 34-page text. “I am aware that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a presidential candidate of access to the ballot based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. I also remember that no presidential candidate has ever engaged in an insurrection.”

The Trump camp immediately criticized this decision. “We are witnessing, in real time, an attempted theft of an election and the disenfranchisement of the American voter”said Steven Cheung, spokesperson for the campaign, in a statement.

Thursday’s ruling demonstrates the need for the nation’s highest court, which has never ruled on Article 3, to clarify what states can do.