Minnesota Secretary of State: We will respect challenges to Trump's eligibility on state ballot

(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota's top election official says he does not have the power to keep former President Donald Trump off the state ballot.

Secretary of State Steve Simon says state law does allow others to challenge a candidate's eligibility in court and his office has honored those decisions if they are made. Organizations in several states are challenging former President Trump's eligibility, citing a section of the constitution that bars previous officeholders from running again if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States. Many of those groups claim the former president's actions before and during the January 6th 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol makes him ineligible.

Simon said in a statement he has received hundreds of calls, emails, and letters pertaining to a legal argument pertaining to the 14th Amendment and the former president.