Third state to act, an Illinois court removes Donald Trump off the state ballot

A state court in Illinois decided on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump was unable to run for office in the state’s primary election because he had taken part in an insurrection.

Early voting for the state’s March election has already begun, but this decision casts doubt on the results.

It also heightens the urgency with which the US Supreme Court must respond nationally to inquiries about Trump’s eligibility to run for office in over thirty states.

The judge in Illinois postpones ruling on Trump’s removal from the ballot until Friday.
The State Board of Elections “shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the general primary election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed,” the judge, Tracie R. Porter of the State Circuit Court in Cook County, declared. Porter claimed that the State Board of Elections had erred in rejecting an attempt to remove Trump.

However, Democratic Judge Porter postponed her ruling until Friday, allowing Trump to remain on the Illinois ballot for the duration.

A representative for the Trump campaign said that the decision was unconstitutional and pledged to file an appeal.

The spokesperson, Steven Cheung, released a statement saying, “Today, an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the state’s Board of Elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions.”

Following Judge Porter’s decision, Illinois is now the largest state in which Trump has been declared unfit for office on constitutional grounds. He had previously been declared disqualified on identical reasons by officials in Maine and Colorado.

“The ruling acknowledges the significance of maintaining the rule of law and honoring the mandate of the United States Constitution,” said a statement from Caryn Lederer, the attorney representing the Illinoisans opposing Trump.

At least 36 states have received formal challenges to Trump’s nomination, according to a New York Times report.