Trump’s Mail Voting Ban: The Next Step Toward Authoritarian Control

Donald Trump’s renewed obsession with mail-in voting is part of a systematic effort to undermine free and fair elections.

In remarks and social media tirades, he again falsely branded mail voting as fraudulent, promised an executive order to restrict it, and hinted at targeting voting machines – citing the advice of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who dismantled his own country’s democracy.

These aren’t just words – they threaten one of the most secure and accessible voting methods. Paired with mass voter challenges, the SAVE Act, and GOP map-rigging, Trump’s crusade is part of a broader strategy: shrink the electorate, sow chaos, and delegitimize results Republicans don’t like.

Mail voting is neither new nor partisan. Millions of Americans – including most voters in states like Arizona – rely on it. It is essential for seniors, military families, disabled voters, and rural communities. And study after study shows fraud is virtually nonexistent.

Even as Trump continues to attack mail voting, he himself has relied on it. He even voted by mail in 2020 via a method Republicans label “ballot harvesting.” That’s the same type of hypocrisy underlying the debunked “2000 Mules” film: a conspiracy theory once promoted by Trump and right-wing media, eventually pulled back and apologized for by its own distributor once the false claims could no longer stand.

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Trump’s war on mail voting isn’t just rhetoric – he’s punished entire states for using it. Just this week, he admitted Colorado’s mail-in voting system was “a big factor” in his decision to move U.S. Space Command headquarters out of the state, costing billions and threatening national security.

It’s a direct example of how Trump is willing to use government power for political retribution – punishing states for making voting accessible while spreading false claims that mail ballots are fraudulent.

Regardless of the facts, Trump has attacked mail voting nonstop since 2020, when record use during the pandemic helped seal his defeat.

The danger isn’t just Trump’s lies – it’s the precedent. In 2020, his attacks on “rigged” mail ballots paved the way for his attempt to overturn the election. Now, with new executive threats and pressure on GOP-led states, we risk history repeating – with more planning, allies, and power behind him.

Trump has already tilted the playing field. In Texas, he pushed a radical redistricting drive to net five GOP seats, sparking a nationwide in-kind response. He pardoned January 6th rioters, attempting to turn violent insurrectionists who beat police officers into political martyrs. He even illegally sent troops into Democratic-led cities under the false banner of “restoring order,” showing he’ll weaponize government power against opponents. Now he’s aiming directly at how Americans cast their ballots.

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The authoritarian undertones are impossible to ignore. Trump recently said that if the U.S. were at war, elections could simply be suspended. From anyone else, it might be tasteless humor. From someone who tried to overturn an election – and now wields presidential power – these are threats that cannot be ignored.

What makes Trump’s new fixation especially alarming is his coordination with foreign influence. He admitted that Putin – who interfered in 2016 and 2020 – told him mail voting is fraudulent. Days later, Trump announced his plan to ban mail voting. For an American president to echo a foreign adversary to justify restricting voting rights is a humiliation of our democracy and a warning for anyone who values independent elections.

Trump doesn’t have the power to unilaterally ban mail ballots, but his rhetoric still shapes public opinion, emboldens GOP legislatures to pass restrictions, and gives cover to activists undermining confidence in elections. 

The danger is twofold: Trump’s rhetoric threatens voters who rely on mail ballots and lays the groundwork to discredit future losses. It works hand in hand with broader GOP efforts to decide who participates in democracy – and who gets pushed out.

The American people cannot afford complacency. Mail voting is safe, secure, and vital for millions – it should be expanded, not attacked. Courts, election officials, and voters alike must push back: check your registration, speak out, and demand elected officials from both parties reject these baseless attacks.

Trump’s threats to ban mail-in voting aren’t just about 2026 or 2028. They’re part of a deliberate effort to make it normal for elections to be manipulated or discarded if they don’t yield a result that the president is pleased with.

Trump and the far-right are putting us on the path – where voting becomes a privilege handed out selectively by those in power.

Max Flugrath is the communications director at Fair Fight, a non-profit fighting for free and fair elections in Georgia and across the nation.

Paid for by Fair Fight, www.fairfight.com, not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.