A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a key part of President Donald Trump’s effort to tighten mail-in voting rules ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, preventing the U.S. Postal Service from implementing new nationwide requirements for mail ballots.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction barring the Postal Service from enforcing the mail-voting provisions of Trump&#8217;s executive order for the November elections or any earlier federal election.
The ruling expands an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/25/trump-mail-in-voting-order-blocked">earlier injunction</a> from Talwani that applied only to the 23 states and Washington, D.C., that sued over the order. The new ruling applies nationwide. 
Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-targets-mail-in-as-new-move-could-reshape-how-your-ballot-is-handled">executive order</a> directed federal agencies to work with states to create lists of eligible voters and instructed the Postal Service to use those lists when determining whether to deliver mail-in and absentee ballots.
Under the order, states could submit lists of voters they intended to provide mail ballots to, while the Postal Service would establish state-specific participation lists and transmit ballots only for voters enrolled through the new system. The order also called for official election-mail markings, unique barcodes, and other requirements for ballot envelopes.
Talwani ruled that the president likely lacks the constitutional authority to impose the requirements, siding with voting-rights groups that argued election regulation rests with states and Congress rather than the executive branch. 
“The court finds that enfranchisement heavily outweighs the executive’s attempt to unconstitutionally insert itself into the domain of election regulation,” Talwani <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28549939-league-of-women-voters-vs-donald-trump-memorandum-and-order/">wrote</a>. 
She also warned that allowing the administration to implement the changes could create “increasing chaos and an erosion of trust in our democracy,” particularly with the midterm elections rapidly approaching.
&#8220;That it is now less than 90 days before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections underscores the critical need for an injunction to prevent Defendants from changing election rules on the eve of the election,&#8221; she wrote.
The Trump administration has argued that the executive order is intended to prevent noncitizens from voting and strengthen election security. Noncitizen voting in federal elections is already illegal, but the administration argues additional safeguards are necessary to verify voter eligibility.
The order came after Trump-backed legislation imposing additional federal voting requirements —the SAVE America Act— stalled in Congress. 
State election officials and voting-rights groups challenged Trump&#8217;s executive action, arguing that the Constitution gives states and Congress, rather than the president, authority over election procedures. 
Talwani, an Obama-appointed judge, agreed that the challengers were likely to prevail, concluding that the administration could not use the Postal Service to carry out the mail-voting provisions. 
The Trump administration has already asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the earlier litigation over the executive order, seeking to revive provisions blocked by lower courts before the November 3 midterms. 
The White House vowed Tuesday to continue fighting for Trump&#8217;s election agenda following Talwani&#8217;s latest ruling.
&#8220;The entire Trump Administration will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact &#8211; which includes the safety and security of American elections,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement. &#8220;This campaign pledge from the President is why millions of Americans sent him back to the White House.&#8221;
The ruling comes with less than three months remaining before Election Day, leaving the administration and states with limited time to resolve the legal dispute before voting begins.

President Trump Meets With Lebanese President Joseph Aoun

Trump’s Midterm Election Push Hits Legal Roadblock

2026 Midterms

election integrity

Executive Orders

federal judge

Mail-In Voting

Midterms

SAVE Act

SAVE America Act

Trump Administration

Voter ID

Voter Integrity

Voting

President Donald Trump reacted on Monday to the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision to allow mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day — and immediately argued that it was all the more reason to push ahead with the Save America Act to secure election integrity.
Trump took to Truth Social to respond to several of the high court&#8217;s decisions. He took extra care to <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116834002761429397">outline</a> the reasons he felt that passing the Save America Act would counteract any harm done to election integrity by allowing the late ballot counting to continue.
&#8220;In light of the tremendous loss in the Supreme Court today concerning Voter’s Rights, and the fact that &#8216;people’s&#8217; votes are allowed to be counted LONG AFTER an Election is over, it is more important than ever to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT, which is, 1. ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PHOTO I.D. (IDENTIFICATION!); 2. ALL VOTERS MUST SHOW PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP; 3. NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS (EXCEPT FOR ILLNESS, DISABILITY, MILITARY DEPLOYMENT, OR TRAVEL!).&#8221;
Trump went on to draw a hard line on the issue, lashing out at Republicans who might not support the measure and reminding them of the threat posed by the socialists who have already begun to infiltrate the Democratic Party — winning safely blue primaries over Democratic incumbents.
&#8220;There is no excuse for a politician, or otherwise, to be against the above three requirements. There is only one reason to oppose — CHEATING! The House of Representatives has approved this vital Act, THREE TIMES,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;The United States Senate seems unable to do so. In a time when there is a powerful Communist Movement taking place in our Country, one more dangerous than World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or September 11th, all Dumocrats, and our five Republican Senate Hold Outs, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Bill Cassidy, and Mitch McConnell must vote to SAVE OUR COUNTRY.&#8221;
&#8220;There can be no more excuses!&#8221; the president concluded.
In a 5-4 ruling, authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the high court held that nothing in federal election-day statutes prohibits states from counting late-arriving mail-in ballots, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-justices-join-liberals-to-deal-major-blow-to-election-integrity?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Conservative+Justices+Join+Liberals+To+Deal+Major+Blow+To+Election+Integrity">reported</a>.
“The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose,” Barrett wrote in the opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts also joined the court’s liberal wing to form a majority.

President Trump Meets With NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte In The Oval Office

Trump Reacts To ‘Tremendous Loss’ At SCOTUS

Courts

Donald Trump

Politics

SCOTUS

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed states to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, rejecting a lawsuit brought by the Republican National Committee that would&#8217;ve upended voting rules in more than a dozen states ahead of the November midterm elections.
In a 5-4 ruling, authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the high court held that nothing in federal election-day statutes prohibits states from counting late-arriving mail-in ballots. 
&#8220;The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose,&#8221; Barrett wrote in the opinion. Chief Justice John Roberts also joined the court&#8217;s liberal wing to form a majority.
&#8220;This is not a case about the Constitution. We do not consider the scope of Congress’s authority to regulate federal elections,&#8221; Barrett added. &#8220;The sole question before us is whether counting ballots postmarked by election day, but received up to five days later, violates the federal election-day statutes.&#8221;
It’s a stinging defeat for election-security advocates, including President Donald Trump, who has long criticized the practice. <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116834002761429397">On Truth Social</a>, Trump called the ruling a &#8220;tremendous loss&#8221; and renewed calls for Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act. 
&#8220;If we want fair and secure elections, Election Day should mean exactly what it says, which is why this decision makes it even more imperative that Congress pass the SAVE America Act,&#8221; RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement to The Daily Wire. &#8220;Democrats are inviting chaos at the ballot box by allowing elections to drag on for days and weeks after voters cast their ballots. Republicans are not going to be deterred by this decision, and the RNC will keep fighting to have elections end on Election Day as Americans want.”
 Mail-in ballots have become a key target for conservatives following California’s recent primary, where leftist Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman advanced to the November mayoral election after nearly a week of counting late-arriving ballots, locking Republican Spencer Pratt out of the race. 
The Supreme Court case centered on a challenge to a Mississippi law that allowed a grace period for mail-in ballots. 
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh dissented. 
&#8220;It opens up and fails to resolve a host of questions for state election officials and courts,&#8221; Alito wrote in a scathing dissent. &#8220;And it creates a serious risk of further undermining public confidence in our elections and our system of self-government.&#8221;
Before the case reached the Supreme Court, the Mississippi Republican Party and the Republican National Committee (RNC) sued the state, arguing that its law violated <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/3/1">federal statutes</a> enacted by Congress in 1845 establishing the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as “Election Day.” <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/2/7">In 1872</a>, Congress extended that requirement to congressional elections as well, <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/03/court-appears-ready-to-overturn-state-law-allowing-for-late-arriving-mail-in-ballots/">according to SCOTUSblog</a>.
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Mississippi, saying that federal law preempted state law and required all ballots to be received by Election Day. 
Trying to overturn the 5th Circuit, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson asked the Supreme Court to weigh in. Watson argued to the court that the 5th Circuit’s decision “defies statutory text, conflicts with this Court’s precedent, and — if left to stand — will have destabilizing nationwide ramifications,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-to-hear-critical-challenge-to-mail-in-ballots">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. 
He said that as long as the ballots had been filled out by Election Day, they should be counted. Nineteen mostly blue states and the District of Columbia are supporting Mississippi in its efforts to reverse the lower court’s decision. 
The RNC disagreed, noting that accepting ballots after Election Day could delay election results for weeks. 
“Many States can’t conclude their elections for weeks after election day because they’re still receiving ballots from voters. Weeks after the ‘day for the election’ has come and gone, the elections in those States continue,” they wrote in a brief. 
In executive orders, President Trump has <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/preserving-and-protecting-the-integrity-of-american-elections/">called</a> for an end to mail-in voting, alleging the practice opens the door to election fraud.

Voters Across The Country Head To The Polls For The Midterm Elections

Conservative Justices Join Liberals To Deal Major Blow To Election Integrity

Election

News

Supreme Court

Something strange happened overnight in Los Angeles, and the internet <a href="https://x.com/Milajoy/status/2062639953792897268">noticed</a>.
Karen Bass and Nithya Raman each saw their vote totals surge by over 10,000 votes while the sun was down and people were asleep. Meanwhile, Spencer Pratt, the only candidate with a coherent plan to rescue a city drowning in vagrancy, methamphetamine, fire, and fecal matter, apparently received zero votes out of more than 20,000 cast.
Zero. Not one. Statistically, that is not an anomaly. That is an impossibility.
As for the gubernatorial race: days after election night, only 60% of ballots have been counted, with several million votes still outstanding. We do not yet know which mayoral or gubernatorial candidates will advance to the runoff. We may not know for weeks. Or months. Or, at the rate California operates, sometime before the next Ice Age.
California&#8217;s voting system is not broken by accident. It is meticulously designed to corrode public trust, and it is succeeding. Here is exactly how they did it.
California operates the most mail-in-dependent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-is-notoriously-slow-for-counting-elections-heres-why?row=0&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;rowType=Web+Search+Overlay">voting system</a> in the country. Every registered voter automatically receives a ballot. Ballots can be postmarked on election day itself and still accepted up to seven days later. Counties then have weeks to verify signatures and process returns. &#8220;Election Day&#8221; in California is less of a civic event and more of a suggestion, a starting pistol for a bureaucratic marathon that ends whenever the state decides it&#8217;s done.
California must have a case of dyslexia like their governor, Gavin Newscum, because they saw “Election Day” and read “months.”
The predictable consequence, which is not a coincidence, is that Republicans routinely lead on election night, only to watch their margins dissolve as weeks of late mail-in ballots roll in and &#8220;flip&#8221; the race.
It tends to feel like officials just wait to call elections until enough of their blue mail-in ballots come through the mail. Whether that is intentional coordination or simply negligent design that consistently benefits one party is, at this point, a distinction without a difference.
<a href="https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2062336024022274241">Florida</a> processes over 10 million votes in a single evening with paper ballots and same-day results. California, home of Silicon Valley, Stanford, and the most vaunted tech economy on the planet, cannot finalize an election before the next one is scheduled.
The state that puts a computer in your pocket cannot count ballots in a week.
In a world where you can design elections for speed and trust, it raises the question of why you wouldn’t, unless you had ill intentions, which California Democrats do.
They’ve rigged election law to favor their own candidates, and the machine is able to coordinate its institutions and nonprofit apparatus to reap votes. It’s legalized and sophisticated fraud. We’re watching it happen.
They’ve perfected the ballot harvesting game, where a third party can collect and submit an unlimited number of ballots with almost no oversight. Unions, Democratic Socialists of America chapters, activist networks, homeless-service groups, and the entire institutional apparatus of the California Left operate sophisticated, well-funded, voter-contact operations that collect and deliver ballots at scale.
They know exactly which precincts to target, which populations to harvest, and precisely when to submit to maximize impact.
They could just channel this energy towards, I don’t know, simply putting up normal candidates, but that would apparently be insane.
Republicans, who do not have an equivalent organizational infrastructure in California and who remain ideologically skeptical of the practice itself, cannot match this.
The asymmetry is not incidental. The rules were written by the people who benefit from them.
Layered on top of this is no voter ID requirement for mail ballots and signature verification that is often rubber-stamped under pressure, and you get a system where people counting and delivering votes have more power than the voters themselves.
Democrats in California do not need to be compelling, charismatic, or responsive to constituent concerns. They do not need innovative policy, persuasive messaging, or genuine community engagement. They need an organized harvesting operation and a permissive legal framework. They have both.
Then there is the voter roll catastrophe, which is not a bug but a feature.
A recent lawsuit exposed <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/02/us-news/bombshell-lawsuit-exposes-873000-ghost-voters-in-california/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">873,000</a> inactive &#8220;ghost voters&#8221; still on California&#8217;s rolls. Of those, 150,000 had been inactive for four or more consecutive elections, a direct violation of the National Voter Registration Act, a federal law that California has simply elected not to follow. Los Angeles County alone carries 5.8 million registered voters, a figure that exceeds the total population of most American states and defies every reasonable demographic analysis.
Yet the same registrar-recorder offices that get <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/04/us-news/inside-la-county-election-vote-counting-facility-with-rows-of-empty-desks-despite-336-million-budget/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter">$336</a> million a year (and pay top officials almost half a million) can’t keep the lists clean.
Taxpayer dollars are always being used with the utmost love, care, and respect in the Golden State.
But inflated, unaudited rolls are not just embarrassing; they are operationally useful. They provide plausible deniability for questionable ballots, make large-scale harvesting easier, and create the conditions under which late vote &#8220;discoveries&#8221; in close races appear to be administrative processing rather than manipulation.
When a system refuses to purge ghost voters but spends lavishly on ballot processing infrastructure, you are not watching negligence. You are watching strategy.
Combine all of it: voter registration at locations without ID verification, no mail ballot ID requirement, unlimited harvesting with minimal oversight, unmonitored drop boxes, ballots counted weeks after election night, and rolls packed with hundreds of thousands of legally ineligible inactive voters. The result is a system where accountability is structurally impossible to enforce, and no one trusts a darn thing.
People are not stupid. We can see what’s going on and draw rational conclusions.
If Nithya Raman ultimately surpasses Spencer Pratt, it will further fuel distrust in elections and simply certify that Los Angeles hates itself. They’d rather engineer outcomes for the political machine that built it than abide by the will of the people.
The fraud is not cinematic. There are no masked operatives rappelling into polling stations. It is drab, procedural, and conducted entirely in the open, in statutes, in nonprofit 990 filings, in late-night batch uploads, in signature verification logs that no one audits. It is legalized, systematized, and optimized.
And California is proud of it.
If they won’t change, then fine. Let them wither and rot in it. They don’t deserve Spencer Pratt or Steve Hilton.

Mailed Voter Ballot And Voter Information For The California Primary Election

California Doesn’t Have A Voting System, It Has A Fraud Reward System

California Elections

DW Opinion

Spencer Pratt

Vote Fraud

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday afternoon aimed at securing mail-in voting and ensuring that only eligible voters are allowed to cast ballots in federal elections.
While states are responsible for the election process, including their mail-in voting systems, Trump&#8217;s order seeks to use the power of the federal government to verify that mail-in ballots are only sent to American citizens who are eligible to vote. The order, which was first <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2026/03/31/trump-mail-in-voting-executive-order-save-america-act-midterms/">reported</a> by The Daily Caller, requires the Department of Homeland Security to create a list of American voters and tasks the United States Postal Service with ensuring that absentee ballots are only sent to people on the list.
&#8220;The right to vote in Federal elections is reserved exclusively for citizens of the United States under the Constitution and Federal law,&#8221; Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/03/ensuring-citizenship-verification-and-integrity-in-federal-elections/">order</a> states. &#8220;Federal statutes explicitly prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote or voting in Federal elections and impose criminal penalties for violations.&#8221;
Under the order, the federal data on eligible voters would be shared with state election officials, who would see who is on the list of eligible voters in their jurisdictions. States would receive the list of confirmed voters no fewer than 60 days before each federal election, the order stipulates. The order also requires that absentee ballots are placed into envelopes that have specific barcodes to make them easy to track.
In the order, Trump instructs the attorney general to prosecute state and local officials and any public or private entities that issue ballots to ineligible voters.
Immediately after signing the order, the president acknowledges that a federal judge would likely challenge his action.
&#8220;You may find a rogue judge, you have a lot of rogue judges — very bad, bad, people, very bad judges. But that&#8217;s the only way that can be changed, and hopefully we&#8217;ll win on appeal if it is,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2039097783420887348">said</a>. &#8220;I don&#8217;t see how anybody can challenge it.&#8221;
Trump is attempting to address concerns around mail-in voting through executive action as the Republican-led Senate sits on the SAVE America Act, legislation pushed by Trump that would impose more restrictions on mail-in voting and require voters to provide ID and proof of citizenship when they register.
Trump has pressured Republicans to pass the SAVE America Act, but the bill would have to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold that Democrats are relying on to block the voter ID legislation. Trump has argued that the SAVE America Act is vital to maintain trust in U.S. elections, and his push for stronger voter ID and mail-in ballot laws comes just months before the important 2026 midterm elections.
Democrats have already condemned Trump&#8217;s order as &#8220;unconstitutional&#8221; and argue that the president&#8217;s action would disenfranchise voters. Democrats are also united in their opposition to the SAVE America Act, with the party claiming that stricter voter ID and citizenship requirements would prevent tens of millions of people from voting.

Trump_Mail_In_Ballots

Trump Targets Mail-In Voting As New Move Could Reshape How Your Ballot Is Handled

While the nation focuses on Congress and the fierce debate over the SAVE America Act, a critical lawsuit is playing out in the United States Supreme Court. This week, the Justices heard oral arguments in <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/case-files/watson-v-republican-national-committee/">Watson v. RNC</a>. The central question: Can states count mail ballots that arrive days — even weeks — after polls close? According to the law, history, and common sense, the answer must be no.
For most of American history, states required that ballots be received by Election Day. Congress acted as early as 1845 to set a uniform election date, and until the last few decades it was well understood that states cannot unilaterally extend voting beyond it.
Yet, that is exactly what 14 states and the District of Columbia are doing. Mississippi’s law offers a five-day grace period, while others range from as few as one day to two weeks or more. But the exact length of these periods is not important. Historically, a ballot has not been considered “cast” until it is in the hands of an election official. By extending their deadlines, states are illegally extending the election itself. As the Secretaries of State of Louisiana and Wyoming point out in a <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1260/396453/20260217143551649_24-1260_Brief.pdf">brief</a> to the Court, this scheme risks delays and public spectacles where late ballots flip results after voting is over, both of which sap trust from the system.
Most states require ballots be received by Election Day, and that <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/table-11-receipt-and-postmark-deadlines-for-absentee-mail-ballots">list is growing.</a> Last year, Kansas, Ohio, Utah, and North Dakota all set Election Day deadlines. The public overwhelmingly supports this. A new <a href="https://honestelections.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Watson-v-RNC-Polling-Memo.pdf">poll</a> by Honest Elections Project shows that 83% of Americans agree that every ballot should be received by Election Day, while 78% say Election Day deadlines make voting more secure. Nearly 60% say they would not trust election results if late ballots are counted, with Democrats evenly split — clear evidence of deep, bipartisan distrust.
Despite this, the (mostly blue) states with late deadlines argue they are crucial to ensure that “every vote counts.” Yet most sprang up in just the last few years; <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1260/396356/20260217101242321_Amicus%20Brief%20Merits.pdf">seven</a> states only <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/the-evolution-of-absentee-mail-voting-laws-2020-through-2022">adopted</a> them in the COVID era. If they were not necessary in 1900, 2000, or even 2018, how can they be indispensable now?
With more people voting by mail, critics claim extended deadlines guard against postal delays and ballot rejection. U.S. Election Assistance Commission <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1260/396356/20260217101242321_Amicus%20Brief%20Merits.pdf">data</a> show otherwise. Massachusetts established a three-day grace period and rejected as many late ballots in 2024 as it did in 2016 under the old rules. Nevada rejected more in 2024 than in 2016 after adopting a four-day grace period and all-mail elections.
These states ignore an easy alternative: encourage mail-in voters to request and mail their ballots earlier. When Ohio moved from 10 days to just four, rejections declined. The same is true in Iowa under its new Election Day deadline. Clearly, voters adapt when laws change. When states move deadlines up, voters act sooner. When they push deadlines back, voters delay.
That sets them up for failure. Ballots frequently miss even extended deadlines due to mail delays. There are other obstacles, too: states typically require that late ballots be postmarked, but postmarking is inconsistent. Many ballots are never postmarked, or their marks are smudged or illegible. A new USPS <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/24/2025-20740/postmarks-and-postal-possession">rule</a> means that ballots may not be postmarked the day they are mailed. In other words, late ballot laws leave voters one bad postmark away from disenfranchisement.
The Post Office has long <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7035581-USPS-General-Counsel-Letter-July-2020/">admonished</a> states to adjust their voting laws to fit the realities of today’s mail service. Many have refused. The Watson case could be the nudge they need to fix their broken systems.
With a ruling likely in June, critics are predicting chaos in the midterms. They ignore that states would have more than four months to adjust. They claim that military voters will be hard-hit but overlook that federal law requires overseas ballots be mailed 45 days before elections and specifically exempts them from the broader Election Day deadline.
Rather than stoking outrage, election officials in these states should focus on preparing for the change, or better yet, for legislatures to repeal their late ballot laws immediately. The public won’t look kindly on officials delaying action, especially if they aim to score points from entirely avoidable chaos.
For too many years, late ballot laws have turned elections into a guessing game while fueling doubt and distrust. Election Day deadlines are clear, simple to administer, and easy for voters to adjust to. With Watson v. RNC, the Supreme Court has a chance to end late ballots once and for all. Every voter should hope they do.
* * *
Jason Snead is the executive director of Honest Elections Project.

Pennsylvania Elections Officials Process Ballots On Election Day

You Can Kiss Republicans Goodbye If This Election Rule Doesn’t Change

You Can Kiss Republicans Goodbye If This Election Rule Doesn't Change

Election Laws

Elections

Opinion

The Supreme Court heard more than two hours of arguments Monday in a closely watched case that could reshape how elections are conducted across the country, weighing whether states can count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day.
At the center of the case, Watson v. RNC, is a simple but consequential question: Does federal law require ballots to be received by Election Day or merely sent by then? 
“Ballots must be received by Election Day,” a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee said in a statement ahead of arguments, warning that extended deadlines allow elections to “drag on for days and weeks … causing confusion and undermining our elections.”
The case originates in Mississippi, where a Republican-controlled legislature overwhelmingly approved a five-day grace period in 2020, allowing absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive later.
Now, that same law is being challenged by the Republican National Committee and the Mississippi GOP, creating a rare intra-party split. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, a Republican, is defending the law, warning that striking it down could have &#8220;destabilizing nationwide ramifications&#8221; if left in place. &#8220;The stakes are high: ballots cast by — but received after — election day can swing close races and change the course of the country.&#8221; More than 30 states and Washington, D.C., currently allow some form of late-arriving ballots, typically requiring they be postmarked by Election Day.
When a 15-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit considered whether to rehear a three-judge panel’s ruling in favor of the Republican National Committee last March, the court split along ideological lines. The panel’s 10 Republican-appointed judges voted against rehearing the case, while the five Democratic-appointed judges dissented. The decision drew attention in part because of its starkly partisan divide, though such splits have become more common in politically charged cases, particularly those involving election law.
During arguments, Justice Neil Gorsuch zeroed in on what he viewed as a potential flaw in Mississippi’s position. If casting a ballot simply requires handing it off for delivery by Election Day, Gorsuch asked, where does that logic end? Could a voter give their ballot to a neighbor? A notary? Even a Supreme Court justice? When Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart began to respond, “Two points, Justice Gorsuch —” the justice cut him off: “Pick your best.”
Pressed further on whether a Supreme Court justice would qualify under that logic, Stewart replied, “Pretty official.” Gorsuch scoffed at the reply, underscoring concerns that the state’s rule lacks a clear limiting principle.
Stewart is no stranger to high-profile Supreme Court battles. He previously argued Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the landmark case that overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, delivering a major victory for the conservative legal movement.
A former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas, Stewart has quickly become one of the right’s most prominent courtroom advocates. This case marks his second appearance before the justices, with another <a href="https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/12/court-to-hear-case-on-racial-discrimination-in-jury-selection/">scheduled next week</a>.
At the heart of the case is a disagreement over what “Election Day” actually means. The RNC argues that Congress established a single day for federal elections, and that both voting and ballot receipt must be completed within that window. “Elections must end on Election Day,” RNC Chairman Joe Gruters said.
Mississippi and allied voting rights groups counter that an election is defined by when a voter makes their choice, not when election officials receive or count the ballot. “Counting votes is not part of the election,” Fitch argued in court filings, noting that vote tabulation has always extended beyond Election Day.
Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias, representing groups defending the law, argued that historical precedent supports Mississippi’s position and dismissed the lawsuit as a broader effort to restrict mail-in voting.
Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, said the arguments framed what he views as the legal and practical stakes of the case. “Today’s oral arguments in Watson v. RNC clearly shows where the Supreme Court should come down: state laws that count ballots received after Election Day violate federal law, expose elections to delays, invite fraud, and fuel public doubt in the democratic process,” Snead said. He added that “recent polling confirms overwhelming and bipartisan public support for Election Day deadlines,” and argued that “only a ruling ending late ballots can uphold the rule of law and preserve public trust in elections.”
According to election data, hundreds of thousands of ballots in the 2024 election cycle arrived after Election Day but were still counted under existing state laws. Many of those policies were expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when mail-in voting surged, and postal delays raised concerns about disenfranchisement, particularly for military members and Americans overseas.
A ruling for the RNC could force states to abruptly change those systems just months before voters head to the polls. The Trump administration, while not a party to the case, weighed in forcefully in support of striking down the law. “Ensuring all ballot boxes close on the same day eliminates incentives and opportunities for fraudulent abuse,” U.S. Solicitor General John Sauer wrote in a brief to the court.
President Donald Trump has also made opposition to mail-in voting a central political issue, repeatedly calling for its elimination and pushing congressional Republicans to pass stricter voting laws.
While a majority of Americans <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2025/08/22/majority-of-americans-continue-to-back-expanded-early-voting-voting-by-mail-voter-id/">support access</a> to mail-in voting, polling shows a sharp partisan split, reflecting broader distrust in election systems that has persisted since 2020. Voting rights advocates warn that eliminating grace periods could result in legally cast ballots being discarded due to postal delays, while Republicans argue that uniform deadlines are essential to restoring confidence in election outcomes.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule in late June, before the court goes on recess for the term.

How Millions Of Americans Vote Could Be About To Change

Election Day Battle Heard In SCOTUS Over Mail-In Ballots

election day

In a high-stakes legal challenge that could reshape American voting procedures, the Republican National Committee (RNC) has filed a <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-1260/395791/20260209131726304_Watson%20v.%20RNC%20-%20Red%20Brief.pdf">final brief</a> urging the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted up to five days after Election Day.
The case, Watson v. Republican National Committee, centers on whether federal law requires voter ballots to be physically received by officials on the designated election day to count, rather than merely postmarked by that date.
At the heart of the RNC’s argument is a trio of federal statutes dating back to the 19th century. These laws mandate that the &#8220;day for the election&#8221; for the Presidency, Senate, and House be held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
&#8220;When Congress designated a single &#8216;day for the election,&#8217; it set a deadline,&#8221; the RNC argues in its brief. &#8220;If a state law extends the election after that deadline, &#8216;it conflicts with&#8217; Congress’s timing decision, “and to that extent is void.”
The RNC asserts that an &#8220;election&#8221; is not merely the individual act of a voter marking a choice, but a public process that is only &#8220;consummated&#8221; when the state takes custody of the ballots. By allowing a five-day grace period for mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day, the RNC claims Mississippi is effectively extending the federal election beyond the period authorized by Congress.
The brief frames the issue as a matter of public trust, arguing that prolonged ballot receipt windows fuel national anxiety.
&#8220;These post-election receipt deadlines invite &#8216;the chaos and suspicions of impropriety that can ensue if thousands of absentee ballots flow in after election day and potentially flip the results of an election,'&#8221; the brief states.
The RNC highlights a growing divide in the American voting experience: while some states provide immediate results, others remain in a state of &#8220;limbo&#8221; for days or weeks. The brief argues that as long as ballots are still arriving at counting centers, &#8220;the election isn’t over&#8221; in any ordinary sense of the word.
The Republican plaintiffs point to the 1997 Supreme Court case Foster v. Love, which held that any state law conflicting with the uniform national election day is preempted by federal law. They further argue that for over a century, the historical consensus was that the &#8220;ballot box&#8221; closed on Election Day.
The RNC argues that modern &#8220;experiments&#8221; with late-arriving ballots are a radical departure from this tradition. They dismiss arguments that a ballot is &#8220;cast&#8221; the moment it is mailed, noting that U.S. Postal Service regulations theoretically allow senders to recall mail, meaning a vote isn&#8217;t truly final until the state has secured it.
A ruling in favor of the RNC would have immediate consequences far beyond Mississippi. Currently, 15 other states and the District of Columbia allow some form of post-election ballot receipt for the general public, while nearly 30 states permit it for military and overseas voters.
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson has defended the law, arguing that &#8220;election&#8221; refers to the voters making their choice, not the administrative act of receipt. However, a unanimous panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals previously sided with the RNC, ruling that &#8220;the election concludes when the final ballots are received.&#8221;
The Supreme Court, which granted certiorari on November 10, 2025, is expected to hear oral arguments in early 2026, with a final decision likely by June.

Mississippi Voters Head To The Polls

Republicans Urge Supreme Court To Shut Down Mississippi’s Absentee Voting Fiasco

RNC Urges Supreme Court To Shut Down Mississippi’s Post-Election Ballot Counting

Mississippi

Republican National Committee (RNC)

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a case that will decide whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day. 
The case could have widespread implications for the 2026 midterm elections, as 17 states currently allow mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted several days after the election. Justices will <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/qp/24-01260qp.pdf">consider</a> “whether the federal election-day statutes preempt a state law that allows ballots that are cast by federal election day to be received by election officials after that day.”
The case comes after the Mississippi Republican Party and the Republican National Committee (RNC) sued Mississippi over a state law that allowed mail-in ballots to be counted if received up to five days after Election Day. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Mississippi, saying that federal law preempted state law and required all ballots to be received by Election Day. 
After the decision from the 5th Circuit, Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson asked the Supreme Court to weigh in on the issue. Watson argued to the court that the 5th Circuit’s decision “defies statutory text, conflicts with this Court’s precedent, and — if left to stand — will have destabilizing nationwide ramifications.”
He said that as long as the ballots had been filled out by Election Day, they should be counted. Nineteen mostly blue states and the District of Columbia are supporting Mississippi in its efforts to reverse the lower court’s decision. 
The RNC had asked the Supreme Court not to take up the case, saying that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to side against Mississippi was correct and did not need review. 
“A post-election receipt deadline for mail ballots thus extends ‘the election’ beyond the ‘day’ set by Congress. Text, history, and precedent all confirm this conclusion,” the RNC wrote in a brief to the court. “In no sense is the ‘election’ over when ballots are still coming in.”
The RNC also noted that the policy of accepting ballots after Election Day could delay election results for weeks. 
“Many States can’t conclude their elections for weeks after election day because they’re still receiving ballots from voters. Weeks after the ‘day for the election’ has come and gone, the elections in those States continue,” they wrote in a brief. 
President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/preserving-and-protecting-the-integrity-of-american-elections/">called</a> for an end to mail-in voting, saying that it opens the door to election fraud. 
In an executive order earlier this year, Trump directed the Justice Department to take action against states that count “absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day in the final tabulation of votes for the appointment of Presidential electors and the election of members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives.”

Supreme Court To Hear Critical Challenge To Mail-In Ballots

Supreme Court To Consider Challenge To Mail-In Ballots Counted After Election Day

Election Fraud

As California prepares to count ballots on Tuesday, President Donald Trump questioned the state&#8217;s election integrity and called the Proposition 50 vote &#8220;unconstitutional&#8221; and a &#8220;giant scam.&#8221;
Trump said that California&#8217;s mail-in ballot process is &#8220;RIGGED&#8221; and &#8220;under very serious legal and criminal review.&#8221; Tuesday&#8217;s Proposition 50 election in California puts the state legislature&#8217;s redrawn congressional maps before voters for approval. If passed, the new maps would add to Democrats&#8217; numbers in the U.S. House.
&#8220;The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All &#8216;Mail-In&#8217; Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are &#8216;Shut Out,&#8217; is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115492361756063244">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
It&#8217;s unclear if Trump&#8217;s mention of a &#8220;legal and criminal review&#8221; is referring to a federal investigation into California&#8217;s mail-in ballots or something else. The Department of Justice sent election monitors to California and New Jersey to watch polling sites and &#8220;ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law,&#8221; CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-department-election-monitors-california-new-jersey/">reported</a>.
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-californias-effort-to-fight-back-against-trump-with-redistricting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a special Proposition 50 election</a> in response to Texas passing a new congressional map that will likely give Republicans five more House seats. California Democrats called Texas&#8217;s move a &#8220;power grab orchestrated by President Trump.&#8221; The California Democratic Party said that Proposition 50 &#8220;would negate the five Republican seats drawn by Texas.&#8221;
Last month, California sent mail-in ballots to all 23 million registered voters for the Proposition 50 special election. As of Monday, 28% of California voters had cast a ballot, according to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-11-04/polls-open-for-californias-special-election-but-how-many-people-will-show">The Los Angeles Times</a>. The mail-in votes <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/sacramento-county-ballot-envelope-holes-concerns-prop-50-election/">in Sacramento County</a> have faced <a href="https://x.com/tedcruz/status/1976745073300652466">scrutiny,</a> with some people <a href="https://x.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1977423844936986993">claiming</a> that a &#8220;no&#8221; vote on Proposition 50 could be visible through a hole in the envelopes, allowing officials to see how people voted. Conservatives, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and the popular X account Libs of TikTok, criticized the mail-in ballots on social media.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, appeared to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-10-14/california-ballot-design-unfounded-viral-conspiracy-theories-november-election-rigged">push back</a> against this claim, saying, &#8220;The small holes on ballot envelopes are an accessibility feature to allow sight-impaired voters to orient themselves to where they are required to sign the envelope.&#8221;
However, the Sacramento County Department of Voter Registration and Elections <a href="https://www.saccounty.gov/us/en/articles/2025-articles/response-to-special-election-ballot-envelope-posts.html#gsc.tab=0">acknowledged</a> that &#8220;there are at least eight ways to insert a ballot card into the return envelope, and only two of these might result in a bubble being visible in the hole.&#8221; But according to the department, &#8220;There is no way to determine how a voter voted through this small hole.&#8221;
Some California Republican officials also blasted the mail-in ballot theories pushed by some conservatives on social media. Los Angeles County Republican Party Chair Roxanne Hoge warned voters last month, <a href="https://x.com/RoxanneHoge/status/1976817550613999712">writing</a>, &#8220;C&#8217;mon people! If you&#8217;re worried about your vote showing through the hole, fold it the other way. Vote NO on 50!&#8221;
In another post, Hoge <a href="https://x.com/RoxanneHoge/status/1976892993790787845">wrote</a>, &#8220;Please don&#8217;t panic people about something that is easily addressed by turning their ballot around. We need every no vote and we need them now.&#8221;
The Republican Party of San Diego <a href="https://x.com/RPSDC/status/1982158321760297233">added</a>, &#8220;It&#8217;s simple. Republicans need to stop complaining and vote. We ask and ask and ask and yet turnout still lags. To win this one GOP turnout needs to be materially better than average. It&#8217;s very doable but won&#8217;t just happen. Work it.&#8221;
Trump and Republicans have also expressed concerns about mail-in ballots being sent to California&#8217;s large illegal immigrant population, who are ineligible to vote. California officials claim that the state has safeguards that prevent illegal immigrants from voting.
Recent polls <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/opinion/article312761827.html">suggest</a> that Proposition 50 will likely pass, giving Democrats even more power in the deep-blue state.

Trump: California Redistricting Vote Is ‘A Giant Scam,’ Mail Ballots Under ‘Legal & Criminal Review’

California

Democrats

Republicans

President Trump renews his push to eliminate mail-in voting by executive order ahead of the 2026 midterms. The U.S. Navy deploys three destroyers off the coast of Venezuela as part of the Trump administration&#8217;s escalating war on drug cartels. The White House touts a string of recent victories, including progress on a Ukraine peace deal, a sharp drop in D.C. crime, and a record-high stock market.
It’s Wednesday, August 20, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
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<h2>Trump Vows to End ‘Corrupt’ Mail-In Voting</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962611" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_00_21_19.Still001-3.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: President Trump announced on Monday that he is renewing his push to eliminate mail-in voting nationwide by executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, calling the practice a &#8220;fraud.&#8221; 
&#8220;We&#8217;re going to stop mail-in ballots because it&#8217;s corrupt,&#8221; Trump said Monday, arguing that it is the &#8220;only way&#8221; Democrats can win elections. The president is also taking aim at electronic voting machines, which he called &#8220;seriously controversial,&#8221; in favor of watermarked paper ballots. The expected executive order is likely to face immediate legal challenges, as states constitutionally control election administration. 
Democrats have vowed to fight the move. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) said any measure making it harder to vote would be &#8220;dead on arrival in the Senate.&#8221; Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called Trump a &#8220;weak president grasping at straws,&#8221; and claimed that mail ballots do not help one party over another. However, data from the 2024 election shows that Democrats were significantly more likely than Republicans to vote by mail, with an 18-point split between the two parties. 
<h2>U.S. Deploys Warships to Confront Venezuelan Cartel</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962609" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_01_20_23.Still002.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The U.S. Navy has deployed three guided-missile destroyers to international waters off the coast of Venezuela as part of the Trump administration’s escalating military confrontation with Latin American drug cartels. 
The deployment includes three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, 4,000 sailors and Marines, P-8 spy planes, and at least one attack submarine. The move is a direct challenge to Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, whom the U.S. has indicted and designated as the head of a &#8220;narco terror cartel.&#8221; Maduro responded by threatening to deploy 4.5 million of his own militiamen. 
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump &#8220;is prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice.&#8221; The U.S. currently has a $50 million bounty on Maduro. 
The military action has a historical precedent. In 1989, former President George H.W. Bush sent 20,000 troops into Panama to arrest dictator Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking charges. That invasion was justified by a legal memo asserting the president&#8217;s authority to arrest fugitives in other countries. 
<h2>White House Touts Wins on Peace, Crime, and Economy</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-962613" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/SEGMENT-HEADERS.00_02_17_05.Still004.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
Topline: The Trump administration is touting a series of major victories on foreign and domestic policy, including significant progress toward a peace deal in Ukraine, a dramatic drop in D.C. crime, and a record-high stock market. 
Following his summit with Vladimir Putin, President Trump is pushing for a trilateral meeting with the Russian leader and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to finalize a peace deal immediately. European leaders, who had previously been critical of Trump, are now expressing optimism about his approach after he secured a major concession from Putin on a U.S.-backed security guarantee for Ukraine. 
At home, the federal takeover of the D.C. police is yielding dramatic results. The D.C. Police Union reports that in the last seven days, carjackings are down 83%, robberies are down 46%, and violent crime is down 22%. Attorney General Pam Bondi says nearly 500 arrests have been made since the crackdown began. 
The economic news is also positive. The DOW Jones Industrial Average touched an all-time high on Tuesday, defying predictions of a bear market. A new poll of economists shows that a majority now expect the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates in September, a move Trump has long advocated for that would likely boost the housing market.

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Morning Brief: Trump Vows To End ‘Corrupt’ Mail-In Voting, Moves Ships To Venezuela To Fight Cartels

Economy

U.S. Navy

Ukraine-Russia War

Venezuela

President Donald Trump said Monday that he was going to lead a charge against the use of mail-in ballots for elections. 
In a Truth Social post, Trump said that he would be signing an executive order to restructure the American election system and called for Republicans to take action to implement new election integrity measures. 
“I am going to lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS, and also, while we’re at it, Highly ‘Inaccurate,’ Very Expensive, and Seriously Controversial VOTING MACHINES, which cost Ten Times more than accurate and sophisticated Watermark Paper, which is faster, and leaves NO DOUBT, at the end of the evening, as to who WON, and who LOST, the Election,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115049485680941254">wrote</a>. “We are now the only Country in the World that uses Mail-In Voting. All others gave it up because of the MASSIVE VOTER FRAUD ENCOUNTERED. WE WILL BEGIN THIS EFFORT, WHICH WILL BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY THE DEMOCRATS BECAUSE THEY CHEAT AT LEVELS NEVER SEEN BEFORE, by signing an EXECUTIVE ORDER to help bring HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections.”
Trump added that states were &#8220;merely&#8221; agents of the federal government for the counting and tabulating of votes. 
“ELECTIONS CAN NEVER BE HONEST WITH MAIL IN BALLOTS/VOTING, and everybody, IN PARTICULAR THE DEMOCRATS, KNOWS THIS. I, AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY, WILL FIGHT LIKE HELL TO BRING HONESTY AND INTEGRITY BACK TO OUR ELECTIONS. THE MAIL-IN BALLOT HOAX, USING VOTING MACHINES THAT ARE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL DISASTER, MUST END, NOW!!! REMEMBER, WITHOUT FAIR AND HONEST ELECTIONS, AND STRONG AND POWERFUL BORDERS, YOU DON’T HAVE EVEN A SEMBLANCE OF A COUNTRY,” Trump added. 
The post went on to argue that Democrats would be in trouble because of their support for transgender-identifying men playing in women’s sports, transgender policies, and lax border policies. 
Trump has long been a skeptic of mail-in ballots, arguing that they open the door to fraud. A Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/swing-state-voters-receive-mail-ballots-for-relatives-who-died-moved-away">investigation</a> before the November 2024 election found that mail-in ballots across the country were sent to voters who were deceased or had moved states. 
While speaking to reporters on Monday alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump again called for Republicans to take action. 
“We gotta stop mail-in voting. And the Republicans have to lead the charge. The Democrats want it. Because they have horrible policy. If you have mail-in voting, you’re not going to have many Democrats get elected. That’s bigger than anything having to do with redistricting, and the Republicans have to get smart,” Trump said.
Trump added that his lawyers were currently crafting an executive order taking aim at mail-in ballots.

European Leaders Join Ukrainian President Zelensky For White House Meeting With Trump

Trump Says He Will ‘Get Rid’ Of Mail-In Ballots For Elections

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