In a bid to resolve the ongoing dispute over former President Donald Trump's eligibility for the 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows has requested the state's highest court to review her decision. Bellows sought the intervention of the court after a Maine superior court judge temporarily halted her ruling while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a similar case.

Bellows, a Democrat, emphasized the need for the Maine Supreme Judicial Court to weigh in on the constitutional and state authority questions involved in the matter. She stated that this appeal would ensure that the highest court in Maine has the opportunity to provide clarity before the ballots are counted, promoting trust in the integrity of the upcoming elections.

Maine, along with 15 other states, is scheduled to hold its GOP presidential primaries on March 5, which is commonly referred to as Super Tuesday. Bellows previously determined that Donald Trump is ineligible for the presidency under a Civil War-era constitutional provision, thus ruling to exclude him from Maine's primary ballot. In response, Trump appealed the decision to the Maine Superior Court.

On Wednesday, Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy placed a hold on Bellows' ruling while awaiting the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on a similar challenge to Trump's candidacy from Colorado. Murphy also instructed Bellows to conduct additional proceedings as necessary based on the forthcoming ruling of the nation's highest court. According to Murphy, Bellows must issue a new decision regarding Trump's eligibility within 30 days after the Supreme Court's decision.

Bellows expressed her openness to a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that would provide guidance on the critical Fourteenth Amendment questions raised in the Colorado case. However, she also emphasized that Maine law grants her the right to seek review from the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

This request from Maine's top election official adds another layer to the debate over whether Donald Trump is constitutionally eligible for a second term in the White House under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. It means that, prior to the Supreme Court hearing arguments on February 8, there is a possibility that a second state high court may address this issue.

Trump's legal team, in their opening brief submitted on Thursday, urged the Supreme Court to swiftly resolve the efforts to exclude him from the 2024 ballot. They argued that these challenges risk disenfranchising millions of Trump supporters and could result in chaos if other state courts and officials follow Colorado's lead in excluding the presumed Republican nominee from their respective ballots.

As the legal battle continues, all eyes are now on Maine's highest court to provide further clarity on the ongoing dispute over Donald Trump's eligibility for the 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot.