Trump targets mail-in ballots and voting machines

An editorial analysis of Trump’s renewed push against mail-in voting following a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Trump targets mail-in ballots and voting machines after Putin meeting

President Trump signaled a renewed effort to limit mail-in ballots and to roll back certain voting technologies after a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. He posted on social media that he would lead a movement to get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS and to reform voting machines, while offering few details. Earlier this year he issued a directive to curb ballots received after election day and to tighten registration rules, actions that courts have partially blocked on constitutional grounds. The executive action did not fully survive court review, and parts of the plan remain stalled while others move forward.

The move appears to blend political mobilization with a broader narrative about election integrity. By invoking a foreign leader’s advice, Trump reframes the fight over voting access as a national security issue, even as courts and independent assessments have found no evidence of fraud altering results. This tactic risks normalizing conspiracy thinking and blurring the line between policy debate and baseless claims. The push also tests the balance of federal influence over state election administration, a division that the Constitution assigns to states while leaving room for federal guidance.

Highlights

The path to trustworthy elections lies in transparent rules and verifiable processes.