Maine’s top court dismisses an appeal of a judge’s decision on Trump’s ballot status

By DAVID SHARP
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine’s top court is declining to weigh in on former President Donald Trump’s ballot status, keeping intact a judge’s decision that the U.S. Supreme Court must first rule on a similar case in Colorado. Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows concluded last month that Trump didn’t meet ballot qualifications under the insurrection clause in the U.S. Constitution, but a state judge put that decision on hold pending the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in the Colorado case. Bellows was ordered to await the outcome before withdrawing, modifying or upholding her original decision to keep Trump off the ballot. The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments on the Colorado case on Feb. 8.