Republicans are focusing on mobilizing their core voters ahead of the midterm elections, as President Donald Trump has influenced perceptions of voting by mail. Trump has encouraged early voting and voting by mail in a recent video posted on Truth Social, stating, "Vote early. Vote by mail or vote in person on Election Day, November 3rd, so we can defeat the radical left Dumocrats in a midterm victory that is too big to rig."
Despite this encouragement, there is a significant partisan divide regarding voting by mail. A recent NPR/PBS News/Marist poll indicated that 70% of Republicans believe that voting by mail involves a significant amount of fraud, compared to 18% of Democrats. Additionally, an NBC News poll found that only 16% of Republicans plan to vote by mail in the midterms, compared to 23% of Democrats.
Voting by mail has become a common practice in American elections, accounting for 30.3% of turnout in 2024, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. This figure is lower than its pandemic peak but remains above pre-2020 levels.
Trump's rhetoric against mail voting has intensified during his second term, including an executive order aimed at creating a nationwide citizenship database to verify voter eligibility. This plan faced criticism from election officials, who warned it could lead to confusion and disenfranchisement of eligible voters. A federal judge blocked the implementation of these rules, and the Supreme Court denied the government's emergency request to enforce them ahead of the midterms.
Despite his previous criticisms, Trump continues to urge Republicans to utilize mail voting. In a post on Truth Social, he labeled mail voting as "totally CORRUPT" and a "Nation Destroying SCAM," while simultaneously asking voters to participate in it.
Selena Kuznikov is a desk associate at MS NOW covering politics in Washington, D.C.