Colorado GOP Appeals to Supreme Court to Ensure Trump’s Inclusion on 2024 Primary Ballot

The Colorado secretary of state will include former President Donald Trump on the 2024 Colorado primary ballot following an appeal filed by Republicans to the Supreme Court.

After the state Supreme Court’s decision to remove Trump from the primary ballot, the Colorado GOP filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday. In response to the appeal, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced her intention to include Trump on the primary ballot by the Jan. 5 certification deadline, unless the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the lower court’s ruling or declines to take up the case.

Griswold asserted, “Donald Trump engaged in insurrection and was disqualified under the Constitution from the Colorado Ballot.” She expressed support for the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision and urged the U.S. Supreme Court to act promptly, considering the approaching presidential primary election.

Trump’s inclusion on the ballot has created an unprecedented situation, with conflicting rulings from Colorado and Michigan. The Colorado Supreme Court temporarily stayed its decision until Jan. 4 to allow time for an appeal.

This contradictory scenario is likely to prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the case, establishing a legal precedent for the nation. The court faces a political time constraint, as a decision must be made before Super Tuesday on March 5.

However, there are complications with the timeline. The deadline for sending out 2024 primary ballots to military voters is Jan. 20, and ballots will be mailed to voters starting Feb. 12, with the first day of primary voting scheduled for Feb. 26. The repercussions for already issued ballots in the event of the U.S. Supreme Court declining the appeal or not taking up the case remain unclear.

Earlier this month, the Colorado Supreme Court, in a 4-3 vote, overturned a lower court ruling that allowed Trump to appear on the ballot. The initial ruling contended that a president is not subject to disqualification on a ballot. However, on Dec. 19, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump is ineligible to appear on the primary ballot due to the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The court stayed that ruling until Jan. 4 in the event of an appeal.

Attorneys for the state Republican party criticized the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision, stating that it violated the First Amendment right of political parties to select candidates and usurped the people’s right to choose their elected officials.