Donald Trump has announced plans to “lead a movement” aimed at eliminating mail-in voting and restricting the use of ballot-processing machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The former president, whose false and exaggerated claims about early voting have persisted for more than a decade, renewed his assertions on Truth Social, accusing Democratic officials of widespread cheating and claiming they would be “virtually unelectable” without mail-in ballots.
In a lengthy post on Monday, Trump declared his intention to sign an executive order “to help bring HONESTY” to upcoming elections. He further argued — without evidence — that states, which are constitutionally responsible for administering elections, 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,” he wrote, framing the measure as a patriotic duty.
Election experts and legal scholars warn that if implemented, such a ban could disproportionately affect groups who rely on alternative voting methods. Military personnel stationed overseas, voters who are ill or homebound, and individuals who must work on Election Day could face barriers to casting their ballots. Mail-in voting, historically a secure and widely used option, has enabled millions to participate in the democratic process without incident.
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Trump’s continued insistence that Joe Biden lost the 2020 presidential election feeds a broader narrative of “stolen” and “rigged” elections — a claim that has been repeatedly debunked by courts, state officials, and bipartisan election monitors. Yet, by framing mail-in ballots and voting machines as tools of fraud, he seeks to construct a political landscape in which skepticism of election integrity justifies sweeping policy changes.
The announcement adds another layer to the ongoing debate over election security and voting access in the United States. As the nation moves closer to the 2026 midterms, questions about federal authority, state autonomy, and the balance between election security and voter access are likely to dominate the political conversation, with Trump positioning himself once again at the center of the controversy.