President Donald Trump announced plans to lead a movement to eliminate mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. On Monday (August 18), Trump posted on Truth Social, claiming that mail-in ballots compromise election integrity and stating, “Elections can never be honest with mail-in ballots/voting, and everybody, in particular the Democrats, knows this.” He vowed to sign an executive order to assist in rolling back mail-in voting and to target voting machines, advocating for the use of watermark paper ballots instead.
Trump’s opposition to mail-in voting is not new. He has consistently argued that the practice contributed to what he claims was election fraud in the 2020 presidential election. However, these claims have been repeatedly debunked by courts, which found no evidence of widespread irregularities. Despite his stance, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump used mail-in ballots in the 2020 Florida primaries.
The former president’s announcement follows a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who allegedly told Trump that U.S. elections were rigged due to mail-in voting. Trump falsely asserted that the U.S. is the only country using mail-in voting, though data from International IDEA shows that 34 countries allow it in some form.
Mail-in voting gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly half of voters using it in 2020. As of 2022, about one in three voters continued to use mail ballots. Supporters argue that mail-in voting makes it easier for those unable to visit polling stations, such as individuals with disabilities, parents with young children, and workers with long shifts.
Trump’s efforts to eliminate mail-in voting are expected to face legal challenges, as states have constitutional control over their election processes.
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