BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Colorado Supreme Court made a historic ruling ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The Court ruled that former President Donald Trump will not be allowed on the primary ballot in March. The court disqualified Trump under a section of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, accusing him of insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Virginia Tech Political Science Professor Dr. Karen Hult said the move won’t directly impact Virginia voters, but it may have national impacts.
“Well, certainly nothing like this has happened before, especially with regard to presidential candidates. In fact, that particular section of the 14th Amendment only applied in a handful of cases right after the Civil War was over during the Reconstruction Period in the United States,” said Hult.
Hult added that ruling raises some concerns among both Democrats and Republicans, “about the extent to which a court decision decided who may or may not be voted on by voters for the U.S. presidency.”
The ruling wouldn’t go into effect until Jan. 4, 2024, to allow time for appeals.
Hult said it is likely Trump will appeal the ruling. After that, it would be up to the U.S. Supreme Court whether or not to take the case. If the U.S. Supreme Court doesn’t take the case, the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling would remain in place.