Maine’s top court won’t rule on Trump ballot eligibility until Supreme Court decision in Colorado

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court decided Wednesday evening it will not move forward on whether former President Trump can stay on the state’s ballot until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on a similar case barring Trump from the ballot in Colorado.

The state’s top court decided unanimously to dismiss Secretary of State Shenna Bellows’ appeal of an order requiring her to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision before withdrawing, modifying or upholding her decision to keep Trump off the ballot on Super Tuesday in March.

“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,” the court said.

MAINE SUPERIOR COURT ISSUES A STAY ON STATE’S DECISION TO BAR TRUMP FROM PRIMARY BALLOT

Bellows decided in December to remove the former president from the primary ballot after deeming him ineligible under the insurrection clause in the Constitution, but a judge put her decision on hold pending the outcome in Colorado.

Trump, who is the Republican frontrunner in the presidential race, said that Bellows should have recused herself and accused her of being biased against him. He also said her decision disenfranchised voters in Maine and plays into a larger effort by some Democrats to keep him off the ballot.

Bellows claimed she was obligated to make a decision after several residents of Maine challenged Trump’s right to be on the ballot, but vowed she would ultimately abide by a court’s ruling.

MAINE OFFICIAL APPEALS HER REMOVAL OF TRUMP FROM VOTING BALLOTS TO STATE’S TOP COURT

The Supreme Court has never ruled on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which is a post-Civil War clause prohibiting anyone who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office. 

Some people contend Trump’s role in attempting to overturn his loss to President Biden in the 2020 presidential election and the events that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, qualify as an insurrection.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the Colorado case on Feb. 8. 

Super Tuesday will take place in about six weeks on March 5.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.