New Hampshire official won’t block Trump from primary ballot

Secretary of State David Scanlan on Wednesday said state law didn’t allow him to decide whose name appears on the primary ballot. Scanlan said any candidate meeting the proper age, citizenship, and residency requirements, and who either pays the $1,000 filing fee or collects a required number of signatures, shall have their name on the ballot, according to the law. New Hampshire will hold the first Republican presidential primary next year.

Why would Trump’s name not appear on the ballot? Former President Donald Trump’s opponents have sought to disqualify him from some states’ presidential primary ballots, citing Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection from holding government offices without congressional approval. A liberal group called the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sued last week trying to block Trump from appearing on Colorado’s primary ballot. Trump faces charges in Georgia and federally in Washington, D.C. on allegations he sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel R. Suhr’s column in WORLD Opinions saying voters should decide Trump’s eligibility.