It looks the senate will not hold an impeachment trial very soon. But can they vote by simple majority to bar Trump from ever standing for president again?
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1FYI: 'Standing' for office is British colloquial usage. People in the US say 'running' for office. No real difference either way, but it might confuse some.– Ted WrigleyCommented Jan 13, 2021 at 23:11
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1 Answer
They can disqualify Trump from standing again with a simple majority, but only after he has been convicted, and a conviction requires a two-thirds vote.
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Although it wasn't mentioned in the question, the answer might be complicated by whether they vote (to convict and disqualify from office) before or after Trump leaves office. The issue of whether they can convict and disqualify from office after he leaves office was addressed in this question. Commented Jan 14, 2021 at 1:26
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Is the rule that it has to be after conviction in the constitution?– SimdCommented Jan 14, 2021 at 9:57
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@Anush The constitution says that the judgement that the senate can impose when they convict someone (during an an impeachment trial) can only include removal from office and disqualification from future office. The simple majority vote is about whether the judgement should include disqualification or not, but they can only impose a judgement at all by convicting. If they held the disqualification vote in advance, it wouldn't be binding unless and until they also voted to convict.– BenCommented Jan 16, 2021 at 10:30