President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to vote early and by mail in the upcoming midterm elections, marking a notable shift in his stance on mail-in voting. In a video posted Saturday on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump encouraged voters to "Vote early. Vote by mail. Or vote in person on Election Day," while also promoting a Republican Party website that provides guidance on voting options.
This development contrasts sharply with Trump’s longstanding and vocal opposition to mail-in voting. For years, he has raised unsubstantiated claims that mail ballots are vulnerable to widespread fraud, despite a lack of evidence to support such allegations. In July, he described mail-in ballots as “inherently corrupt.” Nonetheless, Trump himself has cast ballots by mail on multiple occasions, including during a Florida special election in March and the August primary.
The president’s calls for mail voting come amid concerns among Republicans about their chances in the midterms, where recent polls indicate growing Democratic momentum. Trump’s approval ratings remain low, and issues such as inflation, exacerbated in part by war-related tensions with Iran, continue to affect voter sentiment. Some Republican strategists worry that Trump’s previous attacks on mail balloting might have hurt their party’s electoral chances in this critical election cycle.
About a third of ballots in the 2024 presidential election were cast by mail, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Several states, including Illinois and Minnesota, have already begun their early voting and mail ballot distributions, with North Carolina starting nearly a month ago.
Trump’s evolving position on mail voting follows his extensive efforts to limit the practice. In March, he signed an executive order aimed at restricting mail ballots, but it was struck down by the Supreme Court in September. He also unsuccessfully sought congressional legislation to curtail mail voting nationwide.
Election law expert Richard Pildes of New York University described Trump’s recent endorsement of mail voting as a significant policy reversal, suggesting it reflects the failure of his previous attempts to alter mail-in voting rules. “He’s realizing that his efforts to change policy on mail-in voting have basically run aground at this point, and he’s shifting gears,” Pildes said.
However, Republican strategist Doug Heye cautioned that it remains uncertain whether Trump will maintain this approach, noting it would not be surprising if the president reverted to earlier assertions that mail voting results in fraud in the days ahead.
Trump’s focus on mail voting intensified following his 2020 presidential election loss, when he baselessly claimed voter fraud via mail ballots and asserted without evidence that he had actually won. That election saw more than 40 percent of voters cast ballots by mail, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on voting methods. The midterm election is scheduled for November 7, with early voting and mail ballot distribution already underway in many states.