President Donald Trump has filed an appeal against the state of Maine’s decision to ban him from the state primary ballot in the 2020 election.
The Maine Secretary of State, Matt Dunlap, announced last month that Trump had failed to collect the required number of signatures to qualify for the March 3rd primary in Maine. Dunlap said the President only collected 2,194 signatures while 3,000 were needed.
On Thursday, the President’s re-election committee filed an appeal with the Maine Supreme Court, arguing that the state did not give them adequate time to obtain the required number of signatures under Maine’s Elections and Ethics laws. They are asking for the court to overturn the decision and allow Trump to be listed on the ballot.
Trump’s campaign also alleges that Dunlap’s decision to deny their request to extend the deadline for collecting signatures was made in violation of the Maine Constitution and the U.S. Constitution’s protection of political speech.
The Maine Democratic Party is opposing Trump’s appeal, arguing that the President’s campaign had plenty of time to obtain the necessary signatures and that the appeals court should not intervene in a state matter. The party’s executive director, Lisa A. Roberts, commented, “This is a partisan appeal and it should not be entertained by the court.”
Trump is currently running for re-election against several Democratic candidates in Maine, including Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Amy Klobuchar. It is unclear how the Maine Supreme Court will rule on the President’s appeal. This decision will be closely monitored by both sides as it could have repercussions for the result of the state’s primary election.
