Tracking Efforts to Remove Trump From the 2024 Ballot
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on March 4 that former President Donald J. Trump must remain on Colorado’s primary ballot, saying states have no power to exclude candidates for federal office based on Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. This page is no longer being updated, and reflects the state of legal challenges on the eve of the court's decision. Read more.
States with challenges to Trump’s candidacy
Trump disqualified, decision appealed
Challenge unresolved
Challenge dismissed or rejected
Formal challenges to Donald J. Trump’s presidential candidacy have been filed in at least 36 states, according to a New York Times review of court records and other documents.
Mr. Trump has been disqualified from the primary ballots in Colorado, Illinois and Maine, and has appealed those decisions. Because of those appeals, he is still likely to appear on primary ballots in those states, at least for now. The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the Colorado appeal on Feb. 8 in a case that could determine Mr. Trump's eligibility for the ballot nationally. Justices across the ideological spectrum appeared skeptical of the reasoning used to disqualify Mr. Trump. It is not clear when they will issue a ruling.
The ballot challenges focus on whether Mr. Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat make him ineligible to hold the presidency again. Those cases are based on a largely untested clause of a constitutional amendment enacted after the Civil War that disqualifies government officials who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” from holding office.
Of the 36 states where challenges have been filed, President Biden carried 22 in 2020 and Mr. Trump carried 14. Mr. Trump also won a single electoral vote in Maine, which splits its votes by congressional district.
The Colorado Supreme Court and Maine’s secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, each found Mr. Trump ineligible under that provision. Mr. Trump, who is leading in Republican primary polls, has appealed those decisions, and his campaign has described the attempts to remove him from the ballot as unconstitutional and antidemocratic.
A judge in Maine stayed Mr. Trump’s disqualification and ordered Ms. Bellows, a Democrat, to revisit the issue after the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the Colorado case. Ms. Bellows appealed the judge’s order, but her appeal was dismissed.
Several judges have dismissed cases at the request of Mr. Trump or the request of the person who filed the challenge. The Michigan and Minnesota Supreme Courts have each said Mr. Trump is eligible to appear on the primary ballot in those states.
Status of challenges in each state
A lawsuit in Federal District Court was dismissed by a judge.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at Mr. Trump’s request. An appeal of that case is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with some filings due in March.
Lawsuits filed in federal district courts in Los Angeles and Sacramento were dismissed. Lawsuits filed in state courts in Alameda County and Los Angeles County are pending.
Several state legislators encouraged the California attorney general to seek a court opinion on whether Mr. Trump could appear on the ballot.
California’s lieutenant governor asked the secretary of state “to explore every legal option to remove” Mr. Trump from the primary ballot. The secretary of state has included Mr. Trump on the list of candidates approved for the ballot.
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Trump was ineligible to appear on the ballot because of the 14th Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering an appeal of the Colorado ruling and heard arguments on Feb. 8. Because of the appeal, Mr. Trump will appear on the state’s primary ballot on March 5.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in West Palm Beach was dismissed but is being appealed. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal, and the case is now pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
A lawsuit filed in State Circuit Court in Broward County is pending.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in Fort Lauderdale was dismissed.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A Democratic state judge in Illinois ruled on Feb. 28 that Mr. Trump had engaged in insurrection and was ineligible to appear on the state’s primary ballot.
The judge, Tracie R. Porter of the State Circuit Court in Cook County, said the State Board of Elections had erred in rejecting a challenge to Mr. Trump’s candidacy.
Mr. Trump’s lawyers appealed her decision to the Illinois Appellate Court. Judge Porter stayed her order until the appeal is resolved, allowing Mr. Trump to remain on the ballot for now.
A challenge was rejected by the Indiana Election Commission.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A lawsuit filed in State District Court in East Baton Rouge Parish was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, disqualified Mr. Trump from the primary ballot. Mr. Trump appealed her decision in Superior Court in Kennebec County. A state judge stayed the disqualification and ordered Ms. Bellows to revisit the issue after the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the Colorado appeal. Ms. Bellows appealed the judge’s decision to the Maine Law Court, but her appeal was dismissed.
The Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission dismissed citizen complaints challenging Mr. Trump’s eligibility. An appeal of that decision was rejected by a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, though lawyers for the objectors have appealed to the full court.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that Mr. Trump could appear on the primary ballot. The Michigan Supreme Court declined to take up the case.
The Minnesota Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit seeking to block Mr. Trump from the primary ballot.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed by a judge.
Two lawsuits in Federal District Court were dismissed. The dismissal of one of those cases was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. An appeal of the other case is pending in the First Circuit.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request. A lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in Mercer County was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A lawsuit in Federal District Court was dismissed at Mr. Trump’s request. The plaintiff has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.
Some state legislators asked the State Board of Elections to exclude Mr. Trump from the ballot. The Republicans on the board, who decide the makeup of their party’s primary ballot, rejected those requests and included Mr. Trump on the list of candidates. An objection to that decision has been filed and is now pending. A lawsuit challenging the decision is also pending in a state trial court in Albany County.
A separate lawsuit is pending in Federal District Court in New York City.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in Albany was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
The North Carolina Board of Elections placed Mr. Trump on the ballot despite a citizen complaint. That citizen then filed a lawsuit in state court in Wake County asking a judge to order the Board of Elections to consider his complaint. That lawsuit is pending.
A separate lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
The Oregon Supreme Court rejected a challenge to Mr. Trump’s candidacy and said it would wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule in the Colorado case. If the U.S. Supreme Court ruling leaves eligibility questions unresolved, the Oregon court said challengers in that state could file again.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A federal district judge dismissed a lawsuit and ruled in favor of Mr. Trump.
A lawsuit is pending in Federal District Court, where a judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked Mr. Trump from the state’s ballot. An appeal of that decision is pending with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
A lawsuit is pending in Federal District Court.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed at the plaintiff’s request.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed by a judge.
A lawsuit is pending in State Circuit Court in Richmond.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed.
A judge in State Superior Court in Thurston County rejected a challenge on Jan. 18.
A judge declined to rule on a separate challenge filed in State Superior Court in Kitsap County.
A lawsuit filed in Federal District Court was dismissed but has been appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Two lawsuits are pending in State Circuit Court in Dane County. Oral arguments in one case are scheduled for March 18.
A citizen complaint to the Wisconsin Elections Commission was dismissed without being considered.
A lawsuit filed in State District Court in Albany County was dismissed by a judge. An appeal of that decision is pending with the Wyoming Supreme Court.