Trump vows to abolish mail-in voting ahead of 2026 midterms

Monday 18 August 2025 - 15:30

By: Sahili Aya

Trump vows to abolish mail-in voting ahead of 2026 midterms

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would launch “a movement to eliminate mail-in voting,” reviving one of his longstanding political battles as he continues to reject the outcome of the 2020 election.

In a lengthy post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared his intention to abolish both mail-in ballots and electronic voting machines, describing them as “inaccurate, costly, and controversial.” He argued instead for a return to secure, watermarked paper ballots, which he claims would guarantee immediate and unquestionable results.

The Republican leader further stated that he plans to sign an executive order aimed at “restoring honesty to the 2026 midterm elections.” However, he offered no details about the content or legal scope of the measure.

Trump has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, that widespread fraud occurred during the 2020 presidential election, particularly through mail-in ballots, a system widely used in the United States. On Monday, he predicted that Democrats would oppose his plan, claiming they “cheat at levels never seen before.”

In March, Trump had already signed an executive order seeking to restrict mail-in voting and tighten oversight of voter rolls, sparking criticism from legal experts and civil society groups. Specialists argued that such measures represented an overreach of presidential powers, since the U.S. Constitution grants states the authority to organize and conduct elections.

Election law scholar Rick Hasen of UCLA described Trump’s earlier decree as “an executive power grab,” while advocacy organizations vowed to challenge it in court.