Lansing, Michigan - Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Michigan's secretary of state in an effort to stay on the state's 2024 presidential election ballot.

On Monday, Trump's attorneys submitted a filing with the Michigan Court of Claims, arguing that Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson does not have the authority to bar the former president from next year's ballot.

"Despite President Trump’s tremendous popularity, there are people who want to deny Michigan voters the opportunity to express their choice by voting for him," the filing states.

"To accomplish this, they want the Secretary of State to violate her duties and exercise powers she does not have to keep President Trump’s name off of the ballot," the filing continues, "and they want to use this court as a vehicle to do it."

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Michigan activists recently filed a suit to keep Trump off the 2024 ballots, citing a clause in the 14th Amendment that disqualifies anyone who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding office.

Trump's team also accused Benson of causing "uncertainty" on the matter as she has failed to respond to requests for updates from the Trump campaign on the status of his eligibility, which is important as he is the front-runner for the Republican primaries.

Similar lawsuits have been popping up in states across the country, including Colorado, Minnesota, Arizona, and New Hampshire, which has sparked a debate about if the January 6 Capitol attacks can be defined as an "insurrection."

In their filing, Trump's attorneys argue that the incident, which they describe as "a riot," shouldn't be considered an insurrection because it "did not amount to levying war against the United States."

"Even if the events of January 6, 2021, could constitute an 'insurrection' (they do not), President Trump did not 'engage' in it," the filing adds. "'Engaging' requires some level of active participation. Inaction is not sufficient."