Trump vows to end mail-in voting by 2026 midterm elections
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Trump vows to end mail-in ballots, reviving his crusade
The pledge revives his crusade against a method of voting he has long railed against. Trump baselessly slammed mail-in ballots as a “HOAX” and suggested his effort to end the practice would come in the form of an executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The topic appeared to come up during Trump’s closely watched summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the Russian leader told him, “You can’t have an honest election with mail-In voting’ The Republican National Committee has encouraged mail- in voting ahead of 2024 election, a figure that is higher than pre-pandemic levels but marked a decrease from the 43% who voted by mail in 2020. The RNC embarked on a ‘Bank Your Vote’ campaign ahead of 1924 election to encourage GOP voters across the country to utilize early voting methods. But Trump’s focus on Mail-in voting appeared to wane somewhat ahead of last year’s presidential election as his party sought to maximize votes.
What You Need To Know President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to lead a “movement” to do away with the option for Americans to vote by mail as well as target “Seriously Controversial” voting machines The pledge revives his crusade against a method of voting he has long railed against, although the Republican National Committee encouraged mail-in voting ahead of the 2024 election In a post on Truth Social, Trump baselessly slammed mail-in ballots as a “HOAX” and suggested his effort to end the practice would come in the form of an executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections The topic appeared to come up during Trump’s closely watched summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week; in an interview with Fox News, Trump said the Russian leader told him, “You can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump baselessly slammed mail-in ballots as a “HOAX” and suggested his effort to end the practice would come in the form of an executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS,” the president wrote. “I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS.”
He went on to assert that without fair and honest elections, as well as strong borders — another key issue for the Republican president — one does not have “EVEN A SEMBLANCE OF A COUNTRY.” He also argued Democrats would oppose the move but said states must do what the federal government says in counting and tabulating votes.
“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes,” he asserted.
The Constitution states, “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof,” although it does allow for Congress to make changes.
Some of Trump’s efforts to influence laws around voting since his return to the White House, including an executive order he signed in March having to do with proving citizenship and when mail-in ballots can be accepted, have faced legal challenges and setbacks.
Mail-in voting has long been a key target for Trump as part of his baseless claim the 2020 election was stolen from him. The voting method was in the spotlight during the 2020 election, which took place during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Democratic voters embraced early voting in 2020, which saw Joe Biden defeat Trump, and the 2022 midterms, in which Democrats retained control of the Senate and only narrowly lost the House. One survey of registered voters after the 2020 contest by the MIT Data and Science Lab found, compared to Democrats, nearly half as many Republicans recorded voting by mail.
But Trump’s focus on mail-in ballots appeared to wane somewhat ahead of last year’s presidential election as his party sought to maximize votes through all methods of casting ballots. The RNC embarked on a “Bank Your Vote” campaign ahead of 2024 to encourage GOP voters across the country to utilize early voting methods.
A report from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission found that mail voting amounted to about 30% of ballots cast in the 2024 election, a figure that is higher than pre-pandemic levels but marked a decrease from the 43% who voted by mail in 2020.
The topic appeared to come up during Trump’s closely watched summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, meant to stir progress on ending the war in Ukraine. In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity after the meeting, Trump said the Russian leader told him, “You can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting.”
As far as voting machines, Trump said in his post that he prefers “accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper.” Voting machine companies have pursued lawsuits following the 2020 election over claims spread about them and their impact on ballot counting.
Trump’s pledge to change voting methods ahead of the 2026 midterms also comes amid a battle between red and blue states, sparked by an effort in Texas supported by the president, to redraw congressional districts in a bid to pick up House seats in the election.
Trump vows to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines before 2026 midterms
President Donald Trump announced on TruthSocial that he’ll be signing an executive order banning mail-in ballots and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Trump’s attacks against voting machines comes just two years after Fox News reached a $787 million settlement with voting machine company Dominion after the Trump-friendly news outlet peddled false claims that Dominion rigged its machines for Democrats. Despite Trump’s then Attorney General Bill Barr finding no evidence of widespread election fraud in 2020, Trump continues to say that the 2020 election was stolen from him, blaming Democrats for cheating. However, Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School, told Newsweek that any change to federal election laws must be made by Congress.
“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly “Inaccurate,” Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election,” Trump
Trump’s attacks against voting machines comes just two years after Fox News reached a $787 million settlement with voting machine company Dominion after the Trump-friendly news outlet peddled false claims that Dominion rigged its machines for Democrats. Fox is currently in the middle of another lawsuit with another voting machine company known as Smartmatic.
“THE MAIL-IN BALLOT HOAX, USING VOTING MACHINES THAT ARE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, MUST END, NOW!!!” Trump wrote.
The President has long peddled concerns that mail-in ballots, which became more prevalent during the 2020 election because of the pandemic, are rampant with fraud. And despite Trump’s then Attorney General Bill Barr finding no evidence of widespread election fraud in 2020, Trump continues to say that the 2020 election was stolen from him, blaming Democrats for cheating.
“Democrats are virtually Unelectable without using this completely disproven Mail-In SCAM,” Trump wrote. “ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS. I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS.”
Back in March, Trump signed an executive order which mandated that voters show proof that their are citizen when registering to vote, but a federal judge blocked that from going into effect.
Under the Constitution, states are granted the authority to determine how federal elections are administered. However, Congress can create rules through passing legislation.
“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes,” Trump wrote. “They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do.”
However, Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School, told Newsweek that any change to federal election laws must be made by Congress, nut an executive order.
“Congress does have the power to regulate federal elections, but Congress has not enacted any legislation forbidding anything but paper ballots in federal elections,” Gardner Newsweek. “If and when it does, the president would have the power to enforce it.
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Trump Vows To Ban Mail-In Ballots, Voting Machines In 2026
In a fiery post on his Truth Social platform Monday, Aug. 18, Trump announced plans to spearhead a “movement’ to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines across the United States. Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of mail- in voting since his 2020 election loss. He promised to sign an executive order aimed at restoring “honesty” to the 2026 midterm elections. The proposal is expected to face strong opposition from Democrats and legal challenges from states.
Trump, who has repeatedly questioned the integrity of mail-in voting since his 2020 election loss, claimed — without evidence — that these methods are rife with fraud and undermine American democracy.
“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES,” Trump wrote.
He promised to sign an executive order aimed at restoring “honesty” to the 2026 midterm elections, asserting that states must follow federal directives on election procedures.
Legal experts note that the US Constitution grants state legislatures the authority to set election rules, though Congress can regulate certain aspects. Trump’s proposal is expected to face strong opposition from Democrats and legal challenges from states.
Trump’s renewed push follows recent remarks on Fox News, where he cited a conversation in Alaska on Friday, Aug. 15, with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also criticized mail-in voting.
Trump echoed Putin’s claim that “there’s not a country in the world that uses it now,” despite the fact that Russia itself allows mail-in ballots and its elections have been widely condemned by Western nations as neither free nor fair.
For years, Trump has promoted unfounded allegations of voter fraud tied to mail-in ballots, calling the 2020 election “rigged” after expanded mail-in voting during the pandemic.
Despite repeated investigations, no widespread fraud has been found. Still, Trump and his supporters continue to argue that banning mail-in voting is essential for election integrity as the 2026 midterms approach.
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HONESTY FOR 2026 ELECTIONS: How Trump Vows to Reform Voting
Trump announced his intentions in a post on Truth Social Monday morning. “I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election,” the president wrote in the post. Trump said states are are an “agent’ of the federal government in administering elections. The countries that ban what they commonly call “postal voting” in Europe are France, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden. Many European countries have restricted or banned mail-in voting. Meanwhile, most U.S. states have comparably lax rules.
Trump announced his intentions in a post on Truth Social Monday morning.
“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election,” the president wrote in the post.
I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly “Inaccurate,” Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO… — Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) August 18, 2025
“All others gave it up because of the MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD ENCOUNTERED,” Trump continued. “WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections.”
Many European countries have restricted or banned mail-in voting. Meanwhile, most U.S. states have comparably lax rules, including not requiring signatures on mail-in ballots and allowing ballots to arrive and be counted after the election.
The countries that ban what they commonly call “postal voting” in Europe are France, Italy, Portugal, and Sweden, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
Trump said states are are an “agent” of the federal government in administering elections.
“Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes,” Trump said. “They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do. With their HORRIBLE Radical Left policies, like Open Borders, Men Playing in Women’s Sports, Transgender and ‘WOKE’ for everyone, and so much more, Democrats are virtually Unelectable without using this completely disproven Mail-In SCAM.”
The duties for administering elections and election laws are divided between state governments and the federal government. Article 1, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution grants states primary authority over election administration, such as the “times, places, and manner of holding elections.” The Constitution grants the Congress a role to change certain election laws in extreme cases. Federal agencies, such as the Justice Department, the Election Assistance Commission, and the Federal Election Commission also play a role.
Shortly after coming into office for a second term, Trump signed an executive order on election integrity that adds a requirement to the standardized national voter registration form that applicants provide documentary proof of citizenship. The order also withholds federal grants from states that count mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day, gives states more access to a federal database to better verify voter registration lists, and directs the Justice Department to prioritize enforcing voting laws.
“ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS,” Trump’s Monday morning post continued. “I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS. THE MAIL-IN BALLOT HOAX, USING VOTING MACHINES THAT ARE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, MUST END, NOW!!! REMEMBER, WITHOUT FAIR AND HONEST ELECTIONS, AND STRONG AND POWERFUL BORDERS, YOU DON’T HAVE EVEN A SEMBLANCE OF A COUNTRY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!!! DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.”
Trump vows to eliminate mail-in voting before 2026 elections
Putin allegedly told Trump: “you won that election by so much. If you would’ve won, we wouldn’t have had a war” The conversation occurred during their recent summit. At least 34 countries allow postal voting, including Canada, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea and Sweden. Russia itself has allowed mail-in voting in some circumstances as recently as 2020.
Putin conversation influence
Trump claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin told him the 2020 election was “rigged because you have mail-in voting.” Speaking to Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump said Putin declared: “mail in voting, every election — no country has mail-in voting. It’s impossible to have mail-in voting and have honest elections.”
Putin allegedly told Trump: “you won that election by so much. If you would’ve won, we wouldn’t have had a war. You’d have all these millions of people alive who are now dead.” The conversation occurred during their recent summit.
Russia expert Fiona Hill told CBS News that Putin wants America to “tie ourselves up in knots between now and the midterms” in 2026. “Putin wants to sow chaos in the American electoral system,” Hill said, calling the conversation “a pure blatant piece of manipulation.”
International voting practices
At least 34 countries allow postal voting, including Canada, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea and Sweden, which permit mail-in voting for all voters. Russia itself has allowed mail-in voting in some circumstances as recently as 2020.
Trump’s election fraud claims were central to criminal cases against him in Georgia and Washington D.C., where his allegations helped fuel violence at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The president continues to falsely insist Joe Biden lost the 2020 presidential election despite numerous court rulings and election audits confirming the results.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/trump-mail-in-voting-ban-b2809730.html