On Monday, the Supreme Court handed down a decision stating that it is beyond the jurisdiction of states to prevent former President Donald Trump from being included on the ballot due to his association with the events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.
In a majority opinion lacking individual signatures, the justices determined that the enforcement of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which aims to disqualify individuals who supported the Confederacy from holding office, falls under the purview of Congress, thereby prohibiting states from imposing such restrictions on candidates for federal positions.
Consensus among all nine justices was reached that Colorado lacks the authority to exclude Trump from the ballot. However, four justices, including Justice Amy Coney Barrett in an individual opinion and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson in a collective opinion, contended that the court should have concluded its decision at this point without further elaboration.
This ruling was issued on the eve of Super Tuesday, a pivotal day where 16 states and one territory will conduct their primary elections. Trump presently maintains a commanding advantage in the Republican nomination contest.
The controversy leading to Monday’s ruling originated last year in a Colorado state court. A faction of voters in Colorado contended that Trump was ineligible for inclusion on the ballot under Section 3.
This section stipulates that no individual shall hold various positions, including Senator, Representative, or Presidential Elector, if they had previously sworn allegiance to the Constitution as a member of Congress or a federal officer but subsequently participated in insurrection or rebellion against the federal government.
A state trial court determined that Trump had participated in insurrection, yet it dismissed the voters’ plea to have him struck from the ballot. This court reasoned that the presidency does not fall under the category of an “office … under the United States,” and the president does not hold the status of an “officer of the United States.”
Subsequently, the voters took their case to the Colorado Supreme Court, which concurred that Trump is ineligible for ballot inclusion under Section 3. However, the Colorado Supreme Court temporarily suspended its decision to allow Trump time to appeal to the Supreme Court of the United States. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court accepted the case for consideration.