Chicago – August 18, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he plans to issue an executive order to eliminate mail-in ballots and voting machines for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. This move could give an advantage to his Republican Party and is expected to face legal challenges from some states.
Mail-in ballots are commonly used by Democratic voters, while Republicans tend to vote in person. Trump’s proposal is part of his ongoing efforts to reshape the election process in favor of the Republican Party. He has also called for Republican leaders in states like Texas and Indiana to redraw congressional districts to increase the chances of electing Republican candidates.
The 2026 elections will be the first major test of Trump’s policies since he returned to office in January. Democrats are hoping to break the Republican control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in an effort to block Trump’s domestic agenda.
In a social media post, Trump stated, “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.”
Democrats criticized Trump’s plans, calling them an attempt to silence voters.
Trump has long criticized electronic voting machines, advocating for paper ballots and hand-counting, even though election officials argue that this method is time-consuming, expensive, and less accurate than using machines.
