Donald Trump prevented from appearing on Maine's presidential ballot for the 2024 election.

Maine's Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, has declared that Donald Trump cannot run for president in the state next year due to a constitutional provision regarding insurrection. Bellows stated that his actions leading up to the US Capitol riot in 2021 rendered him ineligible. This decision makes Maine the second state, following Colorado, to bar Trump from the ballot. It is likely that both rulings will be challenged in court. According to the 34-page ruling, Trump must be removed from the Maine ballot based on the 14th Amendment, which prohibits those who engage in insurrection or rebellion from holding office. Bellows emphasized that Trump's false narrative of election fraud and his encouragement of his supporters' actions at the Capitol were key factors in her decision. Trump's campaign had previously called for Bellows to recuse herself from the process and swiftly criticized her ruling. They referred to her as a hyper-partisan Biden-supporting Democrat engaged in election interference. The campaign plans to file a legal objection in state court to block the decision. Challenges to Trump's candidacy for the 2024 presidential election have arisen in multiple states based on the 14th Amendment. However, state courts in Michigan and Minnesota recently dismissed similar attempts, ensuring that the issue will be decided by the Supreme Court. The 14th Amendment was ratified after the Civil War to prevent Confederate secessionists from regaining power once southern states rejoined the Union. Colorado's ban on Trump was the first instance of the Constitution being used to disqualify a presidential candidate. However, legal experts believe that the Colorado ruling may face difficulties when it reaches the conservative-leaning US Supreme Court. While Colorado leans Democratic, Maine is a more competitive state, making Trump's exclusion from the ballot more significant if upheld.