The Illinois State Board of Elections has dismissed a complaint challenging whether President Donald Trump is eligible to appear on the state’s primary ballot.
The board, comprised of four Democrats and four Republicans, unanimously opted to leave Trump on the ballot. The board members' Jan. 30 decision is in alignment with advice from its lawyer that it did not have the authority to determine if the former president had violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.
The board’s hearing officer, Clark Erickson, said on Jan. 29 the decision should be left to the courts to decide, reports WFIW. The former Kankakee County judge stressed that he felt there was a “preponderance of the evidence” that Trump was guilty of insurrection and should ultimately be removed.
Some board members felt compelled to signal their conviction that Trump was at fault for the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“I want it to be clear that this Republican believes that there was an insurrection on Jan. 6,” said Catherine McCrory before casting her vote, per ABC News. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he manipulated, instigated, aided and abetted an insurrection on Jan. 6."
Trump celebrated the board’s vote in a statement shared on Truth Social.
“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 wrote. “The VOTE was 8-0 in favor of keeping your favorite President (ME!), on the Ballot. I love Illinois. Make America Great Again!”
Efforts to remove Trump from the ballot have been carried out in a number of states with varying results. The Michigan Supreme Court ultimately ruled in December that the Republican frontrunner could remain on its primary ballot. Colorado disqualified Trump and prohibited his name from appearing on its ballot on March 5. Maine’s Secretary of State Shenna Bellows declared that Trump was ineligible and prohibited him from being included on the ballot – sparking rage among conservatives.
The United States Supreme Court is scheduled to hear an appeal in Colorado’s case next week. Oral arguments will be heard on Feb. 8.
According to SCOTUS Blog:The case centers on the interpretation of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which was enacted in the wake of the Civil War to disqualify individuals who had been federal (or state) government officials before the war and had sworn to uphold the Constitution but then served in the Confederacy. It bars anyone who has served as "an officer of the United States" and has previously taken an oath to support the U.S. Constitution from holding "any office … under the United States" if he has "engaged in insurrection."
