The Right to Vote for a Candidate of Choice was at Stake
(Alexandria, VA) – March 4, 2024: Today, the Supreme Court issued a per curium opinion reversing the Colorado Supreme Court decision that required Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s to remove Donald Trump from the ballot. The Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) filed an amici curiae brief on the merits with the United States Supreme Court asking the Court to reverse Colorado’s unconstitutional action.
“Today, the Supreme Court ruled that the Colorado Secretary of State could not remove Donald Trump from the ballot,” said J. Christian Adams, PILF President. “The Court ruled that the Colorado Supreme Court misapplied the Insurrection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The right to vote for a candidate of choice was at stake. When a state official removes a candidate from the ballot like this, it is destabilizing.”
The Court ruled that states have no power to disqualify candidates for federal office. The Court ruled that only the Constitution may set qualifications for federal office and that states may not disqualify candidates for federal office under the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that doing otherwise would create a patchwork of decisions. The Court reasoned that doing otherwise would invite “chaos.”
Read the Foundation’s full amici curiae on the merits in Donald Trump v. Norma Anderson here.
CORRECTION: Secretary Griswold had not yet followed the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling to remove Donald Trump from the ballot.
Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) is the nation’s only public interest law firm dedicated wholly to election integrity. The Foundation exists to assist states and others to aid the cause of election integrity and fight against lawlessness in American elections. Drawing on numerous experts in the field, PILF seeks to protect the right to vote and preserve the Constitutional framework of American elections. PILF has brought lawsuits and won victories in Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and across the United States.
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