The impeachment effort was a response to Bellows' decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state ballot due to his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

With a vote of 80-60, the Maine House dismissed the resolution targeting Bellows, who made history as the first secretary of state to exclude a presidential candidate from running by invoking the U.S. Constitution's insurrection clause. Bellows, who observed the entire proceeding from the gallery, committed to complying with any legal ruling regarding her decision, which is currently under appeal in Maine Superior Court.

Republican lawmakers expressed anger over Bellows' determination that the GOP frontrunner should not be on the ballot and argued that it deprived more than 300,000 voters in Maine who had chosen Trump in the previous election. Rep. Michael Soboleski called Bellows' action "election interference of the highest order," while Rep. James Thorne believed it further divided the state's political landscape.

However, Republicans faced significant challenges in their efforts to seek repercussions against a Democrat. The proposal called for a panel to investigate Bellows' actions and present their findings to the 151-member House. If the proposal had gained traction, an impeachment trial would have taken place in the 35-member Senate, where Democrats also hold a majority.

Democratic Rep. Kevin O'Connell defended Bellows, stating that she had faithfully fulfilled her duties and acted honorably. He emphasized that every government official has an obligation to follow the law and uphold their oath to the Constitution.

Following the vote, Secretary of State Bellows characterized the impeachment effort as "political theater" and underscored her adherence to state law in response to the challenge against Trump's candidacy. She noted that any disagreement with her decision should be resolved through the courts, as Trump has already appealed to the Maine Superior Court. Bellows also suggested that if there is a disagreement with the authority delegated to the secretary under Maine election law, the legislature should consider amending the law.

Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which pertains to engaging in insurrection, has been cited by some legal scholars to argue that Trump should be barred from holding office. Apart from Maine, Colorado is the only other state where Trump has been prevented from appearing on the ballot. Colorado's Supreme Court decision is currently awaiting review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In an effort to delay the appeal process in Maine, Trump's lawyers requested a pause on Monday, pending a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could render the challenge moot. However, the attorney general's office, representing Bellows, opposed the attempt to prolong the legal proceedings.

Shenna Bellows, aged 48, became Maine's 50th secretary of state and the first woman to hold the office in January 2021. Before her appointment, she served as a state senator and executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, where she played an instrumental role in successful advocacy for issues like same-sex marriage, same-day voter registration, and ranked choice voting.

Maine's unique allocation of electoral votes, splitting them between candidates, grants the state significant importance in closely contested presidential races. Trump secured one of Maine's electoral votes in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, despite losing the latter bid for reelection.