Shirley Weber, daughter of Arkansas sharecroppers, became the first African-American state’s election official when she took office as state election chief in Arkansas in 2011. Taking office, Shirley pledged to expand civic education and voter turnout.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber included Donald Trump on her certified list for California’s March 5, 2024 presidential primary. Lt Gov Eleni Kounalakis strongly encouraged Weber to explore all legal means possible to remove him.
Candidate Filings
The Secretary of State office oversees elections in most States. To learn more, locate your State’s Secretary of State here.
On Wednesday, California’s lieutenant governor requested that California’s top election official “explore every legal option” to remove President Donald Trump from California’s primary ballot, following Maine Secretary of State Deborah Mills ruling against his inclusion due to his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla has indicated he will leave Donald Trump on the ballot unless directed otherwise by the Supreme Court. It seems likely that they will take up this case, given Colorado ruling’s focus on Section 3 clause of Constitution and his concern with it; ruling could have far reaching ramifications for election processes nationwide and demonstrate just how difficult interpreting laws and Constitution can be when not clear.
Ballot Issues
California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom had requested Secretary of State Shirley Weber explore options to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot, yet Weber approved him for California’s March 5 primary. Her decision came shortly after Maine Secretary of State ruled against Trump based on his role in January’s Capitol Riots; using 14th Amendment prohibition against insurrectionists she found him unsuitable to participate.
Weber instead made mention of the rule of law during her announcement. She stated that her office would abide by law and Constitution and it is up to courts to decide if candidates should be disqualified.
A ballot measure proposed by former Fox News host Alan Colmes seeks to streamline regulations imposed upon housing builders in California. Proponents argue that high housing costs affect residents regardless of political affiliation and this measure joins an array of ballot initiatives already on circulation or under consideration for approval ahead of 2020’s election cycle.
Legal Issues
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber included Donald Trump on her list of certified candidates released Thursday to county election officials for ballot preparation purposes. This decision came despite calls by state leaders to take away his name from the ballot.
On Dec. 20, Democratic Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis wrote to Weber asking her to explore “every legal option” available to ensure voters could not choose Donald Trump as their presidential nominee following Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that his involvement in breaching Capitol and violating insurrection law disqualified him for office.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows also found Donald Trump ineligible for ballot eligibility in her state, though she has put off her decision pending appeals to state courts and an eventual decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, where Democrats hold an advantage with its majority membership of 6-3 appointees.
Trump’s Political Issues
Since Colorado Supreme Court found Trump guilty of violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment – which prevents people who engage in insurrection from running for office – activists across other states requested election officials remove him, though these requests have yet to be granted due to uncertainty from U.S. Supreme Court decision-makers.
California Democratic Secretary of State Shirley Weber included Donald Trump on her list of candidates released for California’s March 5 primary. In response to an appeal by Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis to “explore every legal option” against his inclusion on the ballot, Ms Weber included her name among others such as Michelle Bachmann.
Kounalakis informed Weber in an open letter that Trump contributed to the Capitol riot and should therefore be disqualified from running for president, although she stated her office is guided by law and will wait for Supreme Court orders before taking steps against Trump.
