New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan has announced that he will not invoke the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to block former President Donald Trump from appearing on the state’s 2024 presidential primary ballot. This decision comes amidst legal efforts by some Republicans to prevent Trump from running in the primary. Scanlan emphasized that, as long as Trump meets the requirements, pays the filing fee, and submits his declaration of candidacy, his name will appear on the ballot. The secretary also confirmed that the filing period for the 2024 presidential primary will begin on October 11, setting the stage for a potential collision with the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) primary schedule. The DNC has been working to change the order of primary states, with South Carolina taking the lead, which could put New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation status at risk. However, New Hampshire’s state law mandates the first presidential primary, creating a challenging situation for compliance with the DNC’s new schedule.
