Supreme Court rules: Donald Trump can remain on the ballot

(Patria) - The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned a Colorado state court ruling that barred Donald Trump from participating in the primary elections.

The Colorado Supreme Court removed the former U.S. president from the ballot in December, citing a constitutional ban that prohibits insurrectionists from running for office, reports RFE/RL.

The U.S. Supreme Court justices first accused the state of exceeding its authority, and now have ruled that Trump will remain on the ballot.

Under amendments to the U.S. Constitution, anyone who "engaged in insurrection" is barred from holding office.

The Colorado ruling referred to Trump's actions during the attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.

The decision means Trump can participate in the Republican primary elections on Tuesday, March 5, a day when he could also seal his place as the Republican presidential candidate.

Colorado, along with 15 other states, will vote in a marathon voting event called "Super Tuesday."

Trump is the favorite for the Republican nomination as they seek to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the presidential election on November 5.

His only remaining challenger for his party's nomination is former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Trump has also been barred from the ballot in Maine and Illinois, but those decisions have been put on hold pending the Supreme Court ruling in the Colorado case.

Trump's eligibility was challenged in court by a group of six Colorado voters who portrayed him as a threat to American democracy and sought to hold him accountable for the attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters on January 6, 2021.