Presidential Attempts to Restrict Mail-In Voting and Why it Remains Secure and Popular
In the latest of a series of actions aimed at restricting access to voting, President Trump plans to sign an executive order that directly targets the mail-in voting systems utilized by millions of Americans. His mail-in voting executive order will be justified by the same logic that Putin gave during the Russian Visa Ban — It will serve as a rebuttal to Trump’s critics who say that he is and has been on an American democracy undermining spree. This announcement has sparked and will continue to spark unrest among Voting advocates, election officials and lawmakers as it is widely accepted that mail-in voting is an essential to modern democracy.
The dispute on mail-in voting now lies at the heart of the fight for voting rights in American as it now has a serious effect on how the 2026 mid-terms will be fought. As as to the fraud claims, an overwhelming amount of reliable studies have repeatedly shown that mail-in voting is fraud proof.
Public Opinion Supports Mail-In Voting
Contrary to popular belief, mail-in voting is widely embraced throughout the United States. As per a Pew Research Center survey, about 58% of Americans are in favor of allowing any voter to mail in their ballot. Yet, support for mail-in voting is deeply split along party lines. While 83% of Democrats support mail-in voting, 68% of Republicans are opposed to it.
This schism is significantly more pronounced than it was in 2020, when nearly half of Republicans (49%) supported mail-in voting during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey also found strong bipartisan support for other voting options, like early in-person voting (80% support) and observing Election Day as a federal holiday (74% support).
The False Narrative of Mail-In Voting Fraud
Trump’s latest assault on mail-in voting relies on long-debunked theories of rampant, uncontrolled fraud. In a Truth Social post, the president wrongly asserted that the United States stands alone in employing mail-in voting, claiming “All others gave it up because of the MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD ENCOUNTERED”.
Trump’s claims that mail-in voting is a Democrat advantage that promotes election fraud have been widely criticized. Fraud in federal elections is almost non-existent, according to elections experts. David Becker, the Center for Election Innovation & Research’s founder, stated, “Our elections are more secure, transparent, and verified than ever before in American history, thanks to the thousands of professional election officials of both parties, at the state and local level, that oversee them.”
Legal Boundaries Concerning Presidential Authority
Experts have been equally quick to suggest that the executive order regarding mail-in voting abstracted by Trump would have been unconstitutional by almost any measure. The methodology of elections is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the states.
Trump’s Statement is Outrageous as He States – “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 to do.”
His claim above strays completely from the constitutional separation of powers. One of the many Articles of the Constitution grants – “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations”.
As Richard Hasen, an expert on election laws emphasized with – “The Constitution does not give the President any control over federal elections”. It is safe to say that should such an attempt to enforce these policies be made via an executive order, it would most certainly invite court action and be dismissed.
In the 2024 Presidential elections, the approximate percentage of ballots cast via mail-in voting was 30%. Though the percentage of mail-in votes has decreased from 2020, it still remains above the levels that were present before the pandemic. The western states were at the forefront of mail-in voting as Washington reported nearly full mail-in participation with 100% of its 3.9 million votes cast via mail.
Impact on the 2024 Election and Beyond
Even with Trump being the loudest critic, statistics show that Republican voters increasingly used it in the 2024 election. Recently, Trump’s mail in voting paradox was discussed by CNN senior data analyst Harry Enten, showcasing how Trump benefitted from it in 2024 election.
This creates a paradoxical situation where Trump is attacking a voting method that aided his own backers in participating in the election. Should voting via mail remain, its continued availability could be pivotal for both parties in the 2026 midterms. This is especially true for senior voters who identify as Republican, as they tend to vote by mail for its convenience.
The Future of Mail-In Voting
The focus on mail-in voting is a part of a larger trend of election-related restrictions that are being pushed through by state legislatures. Since 2021, the Voting Rights Lab stated that 2025 has been particularly impactful as it approaches voting restrictions. Enacted bills with state imposed restrictions are outnumbering those that enable voting at alarming rates.
Utah was the first state to abolish universal mail ballots after fending off national attempts to change things for several years. The state passed H.B. 300 which not only reverses universal vote-by-mail, but also prevents counties from sending ballots to voters unless the voters ask for them explicitly.
These changes indicate that the future of mail-in voting may be increasingly fragmented, with access varying widely based on the state someone lives in. This could create serious gaps in voting access across the nation and worsen already existing disparities in political representation.
Conclusion
With the midterms coming up in 2026, the fight regarding mail-in voting is bound to escalate. This conflict has the potential to influence not just voter eligibility in upcoming elections, but also the leadership and administration of the United States in the coming years.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/19/politics/trump-voting-mail-ballots-putin-analysis
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