Abolition Announced by Executive Order
Ahead of the 2026 Midterm Elections
U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited conspiracy theories about election fraud in the 2020 presidential election, in which he was defeated, by vowing to abolish mail-in voting in future elections.
On August 18 (local time), President Trump announced on Truth Social, the social networking service he founded, "I will lead a campaign to abolish mail-in voting," adding, "I am starting this effort because the Democratic Party is committing fraud at an unprecedented level." He further stated, "I will sign an executive order to restore 'integrity' in the 2026 midterm elections."
President Trump's remarks drew attention as they coincided with the recent U.S.-Russia summit on August 15, where the two leaders jointly criticized the 2020 U.S. presidential election, which was marred by allegations of Russian interference. In a subsequent interview with Fox News following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed that Putin told him, "Election fraud occurred because of the mail-in voting system, and that's why you lost."
Later that afternoon at the White House, during a summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, President Trump responded to questions from reporters by saying, "Mail-in voting is corrupt," and pledged, "I will do everything possible to abolish mail-in voting. We will begin the process through an executive order currently being drafted by the best lawyers in our country." He emphasized, "This is a bigger issue than redistricting. Trust me."
President Trump also strongly criticized voting machines used in elections. In his Truth Social post, he stated, "I want to take this opportunity to eliminate the extremely inaccurate, expensive, and highly controversial voting machines," adding, "These voting machines are ten times more expensive than precise and sophisticated watermark paper ballots. Watermark paper leaves no doubt about who won or lost immediately after the election." He went on to say, "The Democratic Party cannot realistically win elections without relying on unproven mail-in ballot fraud. Mail-in ballot fraud using these disastrous voting machines must be stopped immediately. Without fair and honest elections and strong, secure borders, the country will lose its very identity."
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