Trump’s Unfounded Criticism of Mail Voting

President Trump continues to criticize mail voting, making incorrect fraud accusations despite court orders stopping his efforts to limit the practice before the upcoming midterm elections. This continues Trump’s ongoing campaign against mail voting, even as court interventions, including one by the Supreme Court, have halted his attempts.

Unfounded Claims Against Mail Voting

Mr. Trump has persistently labeled mail voting as “cheating,” “corrupt,” and “horrible” over the years. Ironically, he has utilized mail voting himself in several elections, including those held in 2018, 2020, and in March of this year. During a recent prime-time speech, Trump reiterated that “mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt.” However, election officials and numerous studies counter his allegations with evidence.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, maintains an election fraud database. It reveals fewer than 300 confirmed cases of fraudulent absentee ballot use over 43 years, from 1982 to 2025. Furthermore, a 2025 Brookings Institution report found that fraud occurred in only four out of ten million mailed ballots.

Trump admitted that targeting mail voting might also serve political purposes. In March, he informed Republican lawmakers that strict voter ID laws against mail ballots, now predominantly used by Democrats, could secure an electoral advantage for Republicans.

Republican Support for Mail Voting Before Trump

Historically, Republicans favored mail voting. Before the 2020 election, it was mainly Republicans who benefited from absentee voting. John C. Fortier, an elections expert at the conservative American Enterprise Institute and author on absentee voting history, explained that mail voting was once considered supportive of Republican interests in the late 20th century.