The Michigan supreme court rejected an attempt to remove former US president Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot in contrast with the recent ruling from the Colorado top court that removed Donald Trump off its primary owing to his role in the January 6 Capitol riot. This means that the expected appeals to the US Supreme Court will become even more crucial as the country moves towards the start of 2024 primaries.
What was the case put forward in Michigan?
The voters sought to disqualify Donald Trump under a provision in the US Constitution which bars people who have engaged in "insurrection or rebellion" from holding office.
How is the ruling different from Colorado?
The Michigan lawsuit never reached a trial and was dismissed early on in the process although the Colorado ruling was on trial. The judge said that the state law doesn’t give election officials any pass to police the eligibility of presidential primary candidates and the case raised a political question which shouldn’t be decided in the courts.
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What did the court say on Donald Trump?
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled, “At the moment, the only event about to occur is the presidential primary election. But as explained, whether Trump is disqualified is irrelevant to his placement on that particular ballot.”
{{/usCountry}}The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled, “At the moment, the only event about to occur is the presidential primary election. But as explained, whether Trump is disqualified is irrelevant to his placement on that particular ballot.”
{{/usCountry}}The Michigan courts rejected the case on procedural grounds and never reached the question of whether January 6 was an insurrection or not.
Justice Elizabeth Welch wrote, comparing Michigan law to Colorado’s election code that the anti-Donald Trump challengers “have identified no analogous provision in the Michigan Election Law that requires someone seeking the office of President of the United States to attest to their legal qualification to hold the office."
The Michigan lawsuit was filed in September this year by an advocacy organization, Free Speech For People.