Former US President Donald Trump (Photo: Reuters).
Reuters reported on January 4 that in a lawsuit, a group of voters in Illinois asked the Illinois Board of Elections to hold a hearing and ban Mr. Trump from appearing on both primary and general election ballots because of his role in the January 6, 2021, congressional riot.
"Having sworn to support the Constitution, Mr. Trump, through his actions and words, engaged in or aided in a rebellion as defined in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution," the lawsuit states.
The petition added that Mr Trump "has never expressed remorse for his supporters' violent attack on the Capitol" and threats against lawmakers.
“Trump has never apologized to anyone for this riot, not his position or his supporters,” the petition said.
On January 4, a group of voters in Massachusetts also filed a lawsuit against Mr. Trump's qualifications on the state's ballot, including in the primary and general elections. One of the petitioners is former Boston Mayor Kim Janey.
The move came after Maine and Colorado state courts ruled to remove Mr. Trump's name from the primary election ballots in these states.
Lawsuits to remove Mr. Trump from the 2024 presidential primary ballot are also pending in 14 states: Arizona, Alaska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Similar lawsuits have been dismissed in states including Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
Former President Trump has filed appeals against the court rulings in Maine and Colorado. He asked the US Supreme Court to overturn the Colorado court's ruling. Trump's legal team argued: "The question of the qualifications to be president of the United States should be considered and decided by Congress, not by state courts."
The US Supreme Court has not yet commented.
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