BOISE, Idaho — Take a look at calendars across the country, you will likely see a big date underlined in November.
“We obviously have a very significant election coming up this year. I'm sure all of the viewers are well aware of that,” said Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane
Secretary McGrane along with 49 of his colleagues will run the 2024 election cycle from east to west, north to south. One catch causing concern, will all 50 states have matching ballots?
“Starting back in September, we started to receive inquiries from all around the country in terms of what to do regarding President Trump and access to the ballot. That really starts to look at it and to me to talk to some of my peers. I think at the core of the issue, though, is really democracy is about giving people a voice. And one of the things we're seeing is that being tested in terms of what choices people will have on the ballot,” McGrane said.
Voters and officials in some states point to the 14th Amendment as a reason why Donald Trump should not be allowed to be on the ballot. The 14th amendment states that no person shall hold office if engaged in insurrection or rebellion. Some believe that Trump did that on January 6 2021, others don’t. Colorado’s Supreme Court has already ruled to remove Trump.
“This can't be a 50 state solution. Having each of the secretaries make independent decisions is only going to further polarize our country. We're going to end up with differing decisions. So you'll see blue states do one thing, red states do another. That's not healthy for the system,” McGrane said.
McGrane along with 10 other Secretaries of State filed this brief with the United States Supreme Court as that court weighs if states like Colorado can remove Trump. Secretaries warn of a "parade of horribles" if they have the power to disqualify in this circumstance, fears of partisan abuse and "tit-for-tat" disqualifications. Some republicans calling for Joe Biden to be removed, like Trump.
McGrane and his colleagues are asking SCOTUS for direction and a unified ruling for all states. They also argue Secretaries of State do not, and should not, have the power to disqualify federal candidates under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.
“I think there's a lot of tension. We're going to be gathering here in two weeks to talk about everything leading up as just secretaries of state. I think one of the big things this is an administrative function. We are largely the referee of the elections process, trying to make sure, regardless of party affiliation, regardless of where you sit on the political spectrum, that you can have confidence that when you head to the polls, your vote is going to count. It's just interesting to see so much attention right at the beginning, and I'm sure it's only going to increase as we get further into this election cycle,” McGrane said.
The complicated nature of it all can be hard for voters to follow. In Maine for example, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows ruled that Trump did not qualify for the ballot. McGrane checked in on the development.
“She highlighted that she put a stay on her own decision, hoping that the Supreme Court would weigh in on it. I think there is this collective, you know, looking for guidance. But this is there's a lot of amped up pressure related to this election, especially following the 2020 election. I know voters in Idaho are concerned about the process,” McGrane said.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments beginning on February 8. SCOTUS will make a major decision shaping politics, no matter what they rule.
“As secretary of state. This really is a bipartisan issue where we're all seeking guidance on what to do. And I think collectively, we don't want to be making separate and different individual decisions. And so hopefully this case coming up, I'll resolve that,” McGrane said.
“I think everyone there's a lot of attention on this. I think the court recognizes also that this is a hot topic. Hopefully, I'll be watching this closely just to see where what guidance they give us. But the election is already underway, so any decisions that have to be made have to be made soon when we have our own cases here in the state of Idaho that we're watching closely as well. You know, I can't emphasize enough the everyone thinks of even our primary election May 21st sounds far away. But for us running the elections, it feels like it's right up on us right now to get everything ready,” McGrane said.
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