'The more the merrier': Internet welcomes move to take Trump off Illinois and Massachusetts ballots

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA: On Thursday, January 4, groups of voters hailing from Illinois and Massachusetts submitted motions to exclude Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, according to a report by CNN.

This adds to the growing list of states where the former president is facing a challenge to his candidacy under the 14th Amendment's insurrectionist ban.

In Illinois, the motion filed in conjunction with the liberal advocacy group Free Speech For People requests the Illinois Board of Elections to conduct a hearing on the matter and prohibit Trump from appearing on both primary and general election ballots.

The basis for the challenge is the former president's alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack.

What do the motions filed in Illinois and Massachusetts entail?

“Donald J Trump, through his words and actions, after swearing an oath as an officer of the United States to support the Constitution, engaged in insurrection or rebellion, or gave aid and comfort to its enemies, as defined by Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment,” the voters stated in their petition to the board of elections.

The petition noted that Donald Trump “has never expressed regret that his supporters violently attacked the U.S. Capitol” and threatened representatives inside, and that “Trump has not apologized to anyone, either on his own behalf or on behalf of his supporters, for the January 6 attack.”

The voters’ political affiliations were not disclosed in the list provided.

The same advocacy group mounted a legal challenge against the eligibility of Donald Trump to appear on Massachusetts ballots for both the primary and presidential elections in the state.

The challengers include Kim Janey, the former Democratic Mayor of Boston, and “a mix of Republican, Independent, and Democratic voters,” according to the group's statement.

The US Supreme Court is poised to review the state court ruling in Colorado, which concluded that Donald Trump is unqualified to run for office.

Although the Colorado decision is applicable only to that state, the verdict of the judges could set a precedent for the entire country.

States have different adjudication protocols for handling challenges of this nature.

Some may commence as court cases, while others may be initially overseen by state election officials, such as a Secretary of State.

Recently, the Secretary of State of Maine eliminated Trump from the state's 2024 primary ballot, and the Trump team contested that verdict in state court on Tuesday, January 2, 2024.

Another initiative to remove Trump from the primary and general election ballots in Oregon due to his involvement in the January 6 insurrection may soon be decided by the Oregon Supreme Court.

Michigan and Minnesota judges rejected attempts to prevent Trump from appearing on the primary ballot in their respective states.

Notably, Free Speech For People has supported the efforts to oust Trump off of the ballot in Oregon, Michigan, and Minnesota, as well.

Internet welcomes initiative to take Trump off ballot

People on X applauded the motion filed by the voters of the two respective states and forecasted the possibility of other states joining in to achieve the same.

One X user remarked, "The more the merrier."

Another user wrote, "Good for them."

Someone else said, "That's fair a known-to-be-horrible person n very likely criminal is not a good candidate for any office."

One user remarked, "Hope it catches on."

Another quipped, "Good... take out the trash."

"This is becoming intriguing," someone else said.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.