By John Merrill January 14, 2023
Former Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill writes a monthly column as a guest author at the Alabama Political Contributor.
There are very few people who would argue that the political philosophies of most individuals today tend to be very rigid and somewhat uncompromising. The philosophical differences in our country used to remain in the state houses, Congress, and the Senate, have unfortunately uncompromisingly bled over into our daily lives.
Many people can speak to relationships that have been severely damaged or severed due to the lack of interest in trying to reach common ground and instead simply promoting one’s very rigid position of either being far to the left or far to the right.
Unfortunately, it now appears that some individuals have even gone beyond promoting their very rigid political views to the point that they are trying to advance their views whatever they are. Even in positions that require some level of objectivity and, in many cases, only administrative responses.
Recently, there have been some developments in Colorado and Maine regarding the upcoming elections. Shenna Bellows, Maine's Democratic Secretary of State, has removed former President Donald Trump from the Republican primary ballot. She believes it is her obligation to do so and has the authority to act. However, some legislators in Maine disagree with Bellows' decision and are threatening to pursue impeachment if she goes ahead. U.S. Congressman Jared Golden, who represents Maine's 2nd congressional district, has expressed his opinion that Trump should be allowed on the ballot until he is found guilty of the crime of insurrection. He believes that as a nation of laws, it is essential to follow due process.
It is clear that Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold has decided, as someone whose politics are significantly to the left of the mainstream of America, that former President Donald J. Trump has absolutely no place on the ballot for the Republican Party in her state.
She seems to believe that the rule of law does not apply to her. It should be evident to all objective individuals that if an individual seeking elected office meets the standard as described in the U.S. Constitution and the Code of the United States, the individual should achieve ballot access in that state regardless of the political disposition of the administrator in charge of ballot access.
Colorado got it wrong! The Supreme Court of Colorado’s recent decision in Anderson v. Griswold concluded that President Donald J. Trump should not be included on Colorado's 2024 Republican Primary ballot due to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution. The plaintiffs in the case believe that he was as he was involved in an insurrection and subsequently cannot serve as President. They reached this conclusion despite the fact that President Trump has not been formally charged with this crime, nor has he been convicted of it.
This ruling appears to be an attempt by judges with a political agenda to manipulate our judicial system. In the United States, we are innocent until proven guilty. In the United States, we have the right to choose our elected leaders. In the United States, it's important that these decisions remain in the hands of the people, and not the courts, when no law has been violated that has resulted in the conviction of an individual.
It's gravely concerning that judges are engaging in politics from the bench to favor one candidate and/or one political party over another. We should all be outraged by this. I know the Founding Fathers would be.
We now have Secretaries of State from other states around the Union contemplating taking similar action against President Biden if President Trump is indeed removed from the Colorado and/or Maine ballots. The basis for this standing is Biden's handling of the surge of illegal immigrants arriving at the U.S.–Mexico border.
It is essential that the United States Supreme Court overturns Anderson v. Griswold and the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to exclude President Trump from the 2024 Colorado Republican Primary ballot. If this decision is allowed to stand, it will be an unprecedented decision that may result in the beginning of the dissolution of the Union as we currently know it.
John H. Merrill
Alabama Secretary of State
2015 - 2023