August 19, 2025
“We’re going to start with an executive order that’s being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail in ballots because they’re corrupt.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday. The president indicated he plans to sign an executive order that would end mail-in voting and ban some voting machines he deems “highly inaccurate.”
Why It Matters: Mail-in voting accounted for about 30% of votes in the 2024 election, down from 43% in 2020. When and how President Trump plans to do away with mail-in voting remains to be determined, though he claims it contributes to voter fraud and played a role in him losing the 2020 presidential election. If successful, his efforts could significantly reshape how millions of Americans cast their votes.
Something to Consider: Some legal experts argue the president lacks the authority to tell states how to conduct elections, especially so close to the midterm elections. UCLA law professor Richard Hasen noted, “Unless the president has some theory under which he could try to ban certain kinds of voting machines or tried to ban mail in ballots by enforcing some existing federal law, he would need the cooperation of Congress.”
Did you know? Voting by mail in the United States dates back to the Civil War, when several Union and Confederate states introduced the process so soldiers could cast their ballots.
Learn More:
- Trump pledges effort to eliminate mail-in voting (Politico)
- Trump wants to stop states from voting by mail and using voting machines (NPR)
by Stephanie Wagner, based in Florida
