CLC Senior Vice President Paul Smith on Trump v. Anderson: Ahead of Super Tuesday, Voters Deserved to Know Which Candidates Would Appear on Ballot

This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court decided unanimously in Trump v. Anderson that the Colorado Supreme Court erred in excluding Donald Trump from its presidential primary ballot under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment. While the Court did not decide whether Trump is qualified for the ballot under Section Three, the Court held that Congress, rather than the states, is responsible for making that decision. 

Following the decision, Paul Smith, senior vice president at Campaign Legal Center, released the following statement:   

“As we head deeper into a crucial election year, one thing must always remain true: voters deserve the opportunity to make informed decisions. Voters heading to the polls on Super Tuesday and in other upcoming presidential primaries deserved to know which candidates would appear on their ballots — and it is encouraging the Court issued a clear ruling on the subject.”  

Background: On January 18, 2024, CLC, alongside the Brennan Center for Justice, Protect Democracy, and the League of Women Voters, filed a friend-of-the-court (amicus) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v. Anderson urging the Court to reject Donald Trump’s plea to review the Colorado Supreme Court’s interpretation of its own state’s election laws — an issue the Supreme Court did not address in its majority decision today. The amicus brief took no position on whether Donald Trump is ineligible for the Colorado ballot under Section Three of the Fourteenth Amendment and backs neither party in the case.