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President Donald Trump has announced plans to issue an executive order that would end the use of mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterm elections, a move that has already stirred renewed controversy in the U.S. political arena.
On Truth Social, Trump declared, "I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we're at it, Highly 'Inaccurate,' Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES." He added that voting machines cost "Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election."
The announcement came just days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on August 15. In a subsequent Fox News interview, Trump claimed, "Vladimir Putin said something -- one of the most interesting things. He said, 'Your election was rigged because you have mail-in voting.'" According to Trump, Putin told him, "You won that election by so much."
Trump insisted the U.S. is "now the only Country in the World that uses Mail-In Voting" and said the initiative would begin immediately, "which will be strongly opposed by the Democrats because they cheat at levels never seen before." He further argued, "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, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY."
Legal experts note, however, that the U.S. Constitution gives states authority over how elections are run. Courts have consistently rejected Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud after the 2020 election.
Data also contradicts Trump's assertions. According to International IDEA, 34 countries worldwide permit some form of mail-in voting, with 12 — including Canada, Germany, and South Korea — allowing it for all voters. Russia itself introduced remote electronic voting in 2020.
Critics quickly pushed back. Fiona Hill, senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, argued that Putin's comments were intended to fuel discord: "Putin wants to sow chaos in the American electoral system...It's a diversion." Johanna Warshaw of the Democratic Governors Association added, "Democratic governors are the last line of defense against Trump's attacks on our fundamental freedoms."
California Governor Gavin Newsom was more direct, writing, "Trump knows he is going to LOSE in 2026...This man reeks of DESPERATION."
Meanwhile, Trump's allies embraced the move. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X, "I strongly support President Trump in ending mail in voting!! Elections have been stolen for decades with this practice that is ripe for fraud."
The 2026 midterms will mark the first national test of Trump's domestic and foreign policies since returning to office, with both parties preparing for legal and political battles over the future of U.S. elections.
