Trump's announcement jeopardizes mail voting in the U.S.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has announced that he will sign an executive order aimed at eliminating mail-in voting and the use of voting machines before the midterm elections scheduled for November 2026.

The measure, according to him, aims to "bring honesty" to the electoral processes of the country and is part of a broader campaign that self-designates as a "national movement."

In an extensive post on his social network, Truth Social, Trump stated: “I am going to lead a movement to eliminate mail-in ballots, and while we’re at it, the highly inaccurate, very expensive, and seriously controversial voting machines.”

The president stated that these mechanisms pose a risk to electoral integrity and labeled them as "mass fraud," although he did not provide any evidence to support these claims.

"WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH DEMOCRATS STRONGLY OPPOSE BECAUSE THEY ARE CHEATING AT LEVELS NEVER BEFORE SEEN, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections," Trump wrote in his post.

A new executive order following a previously blocked initiative

Trump had already signed an executive order in March of this year concerning the elections, which was blocked by the courts due to lawsuits filed by several states led by Democratic governors.

Now, he insists that this new initiative will be key to reforming the American electoral system.

The president launched a fierce attack on the Democratic Party, accusing it of using mail-in voting to secure its electoral victories.

“With their horrible radical left policies, such as open borders, men competing in women's sports, transgender issues, and the woke culture, the Democrats are practically unelectable without resorting to this mail-in voting scam,” he declared.

Additionally, he reiterated a central theme in his political discourse since 2020: the idea that mail-in voting enabled "electoral fraud" in his defeat against Joe Biden.

Despite the lack of evidence and the fact that multiple independent organizations have certified the validity of the results, Trump insists that that system was decisive for the Democrats.

Disinformation about mail-in voting

Trump stated that "the United States is the only country in the world that uses mail-in voting," and that other nations have abandoned it due to it being a source of fraud.

This statement is false. According to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), at least 34 democratic countries -including Spain, Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom- incorporate voting by mail as a regular part of their electoral processes.

Pressure on the states: a federalizing approach

In his message, Trump also attempted to redefine the electoral authority of the states, warning that “the states are simply an ‘agent’ of the Federal Government in the counting and tabulation of votes.”

And he added: "They must do what the Federal Government, represented by the President of the United States, orders them to do, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY."

This approach clashes with the federal architecture of the American electoral system, where each of the 50 states organizes its own elections and establishes its own rules, including those related to mail-in voting and the technology used.

A strategy with legislative impact

In addition to this offensive against mail-in voting, Trump has signaled a desire to redraw certain electoral districts and modify how the Census calculates the population, actions that could alter the electoral weight of certain states.

Trump's statements came shortly after a meeting with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, who, according to the Republican, shares his view on the need to eliminate mail-in voting.

This reference has sparked new criticism in Washington, where it is seen as an external validation of internal policies that could undermine trust in American democracy.

Frequently Asked Questions about Trump's Announcement and Its Impact on Mail-in Voting