Trump eyes executive order banning mail-in ballots, voting machines
4 Min Read
US President Donald Trump vows to ban mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterms.
-
Election workers process mail-in ballots for the 2024 General Election at the Chester County, Pa., administrative offices, Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024, in West Chester, Pa. (AP)
US President Donald Trump declared he would sign an executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to ban both mail-in ballots and voting machines, a move that would fundamentally alter how millions of Americans cast their votes.
“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 posted Monday on social media.
For years, he has argued that mail-in ballots and voting machines enable election fraud, despite repeated rulings from courts and findings from federal and state election officials rejecting such allegations.
On Friday, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed with him, claiming that “you can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting,” even though dozens of countries around the world use it.
In an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity after meeting the Russian leader, Trump added, “Vladimir Putin, smart guy, said you can’t have an honest election with mail-in voting. And he said there’s not a country in the world that uses it now.”
Mail-in voting in the US
Mail-in voting is a longstanding practice in the US, originally designed to prevent disenfranchisement of soldiers during the War of 1812 and later expanded during the Civil War. It has since grown to include civilians, voters with disabilities, and those unable to vote in person.
Usage reached a record high in 2020, when about 43% of ballots were cast by mail amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, about 30% of voters still used mail-in ballots, higher than pre-pandemic levels. In 2020, more than 99 million mail ballots were processed nationwide.
State policies on mail-in voting vary across the country. Some states automatically mail ballots to all registered voters. In most other states, voters can request mail-in ballots without providing a specific reason, a system known as no-excuse absentee voting. However, voters in around 15 states, mostly in the South, still have to present a qualifying excuse in order to vote by mail.
Mail-in voting tends to be especially popular among older adults, military families, rural communities, and individuals with disabilities.
International use of mail-in voting
Trump has claimed that the US is the only country that uses mail-in ballots, but this is false. In reality, many democracies employ similar systems. In Switzerland, about 90% of voters cast their ballots by mail, while Germany has allowed postal voting since 1957. Australia and the United Kingdom also provide widespread access to absentee or postal ballots.
Legal and political hurdles
Trump has previously attempted to reshape election law by executive order. In March, federal judges blocked an order requiring proof of US citizenship to vote and banning the counting of valid mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day.
Under the US Constitution, state governments manage federal elections, though Congress has the power to regulate them. Any new executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting or eliminate voting machines would almost certainly face immediate legal challenges.
Nonetheless, Trump warned states to follow his directives, writing in the same Truth Social post: “Remember, the States are merely an ‘agent’ for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. 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.”
Impact on US politics
Trump’s repeated allegations of election fraud have fueled distrust in the electoral process. Following the 2020 election, his rhetoric about “rigged” voting machines and fraudulent ballots contributed to the January 6 Capitol riot, when his supporters attempted to halt certification of Biden’s victory.
According to a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, #ElonMusk’s platform, X, has fueled widespread misinformation about the US election, with Musk’s own misleading statements accumulating over two billion views this year.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 5, 2024
The report reveals that at least 87 of… pic.twitter.com/SzMlZKXKjw
The issue has also divided US politics more broadly, as Republicans increasingly push for stricter voting laws while Democrats emphasize expanding access. Additionally, in 2023, Fox News agreed to pay $787 million to Dominion Voting Systems in a defamation lawsuit after promoting false claims about its machines.
Interestingly, Trump has sometimes encouraged his own supporters to vote by mail, especially in states where Republicans rely heavily on absentee ballots. Despite this contradiction, he has continued to cite mail-in ballots as a central reason for his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden and has vowed to prevent their use in upcoming elections.
