February 28, 2024
A judge in Illinois out of nowhere – just ruled that former President Donald Trump will be blocked from appearing on the state’s ballot because he violated the 14th Amendment. This makes Illinois the third state to block Trump from their ballot after both Colorado and Maine did the same thing.
Tonight in this 72-page ruling – a Cook county judge ordered the Illinois Board of Elections must remove Trump from the ballot ahead of state’s primary election– that’s happening in just about three weeks (March 19th) and says any votes for him will be “suppressed” because he’s not qualified. But – the Republican delegates in the state will still be free to vote for him as the Republican party nominee regardless of tonight’s ruling.
This whole case comes after a group of voters in Illinois objected to trump’s candidacy because they say he “engaged in insurrection”. In January — Illinois state’s election board ruled they didn’t have the authority to remove Trump so the petitioners took complaint to the court. There was a hearing a few weeks ago and this ruling came down today. Now – the judge did stay – or pause her own ruling until this Friday to give Trump time to appeal.
But even that may not stop him from being kicked off Illinois’s primary ballot.
There are only two ways –at this point – Trump’s name can stay on Illinois’s ballot. One – if Trump is successful in the next three weeks to appeal this ruling and have either the Illinois appeals court or Illinois supreme court to issue an emergency stay or pause on the ruling.
Or – if the US Supreme Court issues their ruling and decides that Colorado’s supreme court was wrong to remove Trump from that state ballot. But the Supreme Court may rule Colorado’s supreme court was right – in which case Trump would not appear – not only on Colorado’s ballot but also Illinois and Maine and probably several other states.
Read the Illinois judge’s ruling here.
