Trump launches campaign to ban mail-in voting

 August 18, 2025, NEWS

President Donald Trump has fired a new salvo in his ongoing battle against what he sees as flawed electoral practices, targeting mail-in ballots with a fresh pledge to dismantle them entirely.

According to Just the News, Trump declared on Monday via Truth Social that he will spearhead a movement to eliminate mail-in voting, a practice he’s criticized heavily since the 2020 election amid the COVID-19 crisis. He’s also taking aim at voting machines, calling them overpriced and unreliable compared to watermark paper ballots.

This isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a full-on crusade for Trump, who claims mail-in voting opens the door to widespread fraud. He’s framing it as a necessary step to restore trust in the system, a concern that’s lingered since his 2020 fraud allegations.

Executive Order on the Horizon

Trump’s plan isn’t vague; he’s talking about an executive order to kickstart this overhaul, with an eye on the 2026 midterm elections. He’s positioning this as a fight for electoral honesty, a cause he believes will face fierce pushback from Democrats.

On Truth Social, he wrote, “WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE.” While that’s a bold accusation, it’s worth noting the lack of conclusive evidence tying mail-in voting to systemic fraud; still, the skepticism resonates with many who question election integrity.

The president also asserts that states are merely agents of the federal government in running elections, suggesting they must bend to national directives on such matters. This legal stance could spark a heated clash over state versus federal authority, a debate as old as the republic itself.

Global Comparison and Fraud Concerns

Trump doubled down by claiming the United States stands alone in using mail-in voting, alleging that other countries abandoned it due to “MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD ENCOUNTERED.” That’s a sweeping statement, and while some nations have indeed scaled back such systems over integrity worries, others continue to use them with safeguards in place.

His rhetoric here paints a picture of America as an outlier, vulnerable to manipulation in a way the rest of the world has supposedly wised up to. Yet, without hard data to back this global comparison, it risks sounding more like a rallying cry than a policy rooted in fact.

Since 2020, mail-in voting has been a lightning rod for Trump, tied directly to his claims of election fraud during that contentious year. For many of his supporters, this issue isn’t just procedural; it’s personal, tied to a belief that the system failed them.

Democrats Under Fire in Trump’s Narrative

Trump didn’t hold back in pointing fingers, insisting Democrats are “unelectable” without mail-in ballots to prop them up. That’s a sharp jab, implying their success hinges on a flawed mechanism rather than genuine voter support.

While it’s true that expanded mail-in options during the pandemic shifted voting patterns, suggesting it’s the sole reason for any party’s wins oversimplifies a complex electoral landscape. Still, Trump’s words tap into a frustration felt by those who see such methods as ripe for exploitation.

This latest move by Trump isn’t just about ballots; it’s about redefining how trust in elections is built or broken. He’s also targeting voting machines, slamming them as “Highly 'Inaccurate,' Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial,” while touting watermark paper as a cheaper, foolproof alternative.

A Battle for Election Integrity Ahead

For Trump, this is a mission to return to a system where results are clear-cut, with “NO DOUBT” on election night about winners and losers, as he put it. It’s a nostalgic vision, harking back to a time before digital systems and mailed votes complicated the count.

Yet, the reality of modern elections, with millions of voters and diverse needs, makes such simplicity a tough sell; accessibility and convenience often clash with calls for ironclad security. Trump’s push will likely ignite a firestorm of debate over how to balance those competing priorities.

As this effort unfolds, expect a showdown between those who view mail-in voting as a democratic lifeline and those who see it as a Pandora’s box of potential abuse. Trump’s leadership on this issue signals that election integrity remains a central fight, one that could shape how Americans cast their votes for years to come.

About Craig Barlow

Craig is a conservative observer of American political life. Their writing covers elections, governance, cultural conflict, and foreign affairs. The focus is on how decisions made in Washington and beyond shape the country in real terms.
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