Group files challenge in Kitsap County seeking to keep Donald Trump off Washington ballots

A group of eight individuals from Kitsap County filed a document in Kitsap County Superior Court on Wednesday contesting the eligibility of former President Donald Trump to be named on the primary ballots for voters in Washington state, and a Kitsap County judge set a hearing for Tuesday to weigh the matter.

Presiding Judge Jennifer Forbes issued the order Friday, directing Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, Kitsap County Auditor Paul Andrews and "any interested parties" to appear in court on Tuesday. The order was served on one of the individuals who signed the "affidavit of elector," Frankey Ithaka of Port Orchard, as well as Hobbs, Andrews and representatives of both the state's Republican and Democratic parties, according to court documents.

The affidavit, signed by eight Kitsap County residents and registered voters, contests Trump's eligibility for the ballot based on an interpretation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that cites his "engagement in an insurrection" on Jan. 6, 2021, and requests that Trump's name be removed from primary and general election ballots. It's the same issue that has been heard in other states, including Colorado and Maine, and that is set to come before the U.S. Supreme Court next month.

Andrews, when contacted Friday, said that ballots that will be mailed to military voters outside the area for the state's March 12 presidential primary are due to print next Thursday, Jan. 18, and will be mailed out on Jan. 26.

Hobbs released a statement Friday afternoon acknowledging the hearing and indicating the need for a speedy decision.

“I am committed to presenting Washingtonians with the opportunity to make their voices heard in the Presidential Primary March 12, which requires printing ballots and sending them to registered voters weeks ahead of Election Day,” Hobbs said in a statement. “Our state’s process gives the courts an important role in answering questions about eligibility. I look forward to having this question resolved in a timely fashion.”

Parties in Washington state were required to have names of primary candidates submitted to Hobbs's office by Tuesday, Jan. 9, and his office announced that day that Trump's name was among five that had been submitted by Washington Republicans.

The Associated Press reported that Colorado's Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in December that Trump should not appear on the state's Republican primary ballot, the first time the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot. U.S. Supreme Court justices agreed earlier this month to take Trump's appeal of that case, and arguments are scheduled to be held on Feb. 8.

Andrews emphasized on Friday that his office administers the election for Kitsap voters, but the names that appear on the ballot for both Republican and Democratic party primaries come from the Secretary of State's office.

"We're the scoreboard operator," Andrews said, using a sports analogy. "We don't dictate the teams playing, we just keep track of the votes and report the score."

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Donald Trump's eligibility to be on Washington ballot contested