Overview

• President Trump says an executive order is being drafted to ban mail-in ballots and limit certain voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterms.
• He linked the effort to advice from Vladimir Putin, telling Fox News that the Russian leader criticized mail voting.
• Constitutional experts note that states set election rules and Congress can alter them by law, and courts have already blocked key parts of Trump’s March order on election administration.
• State officials vowed to defy any directive, with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold asserting a presidential order would not govern their elections.
• Nonpartisan research finds mail-ballot fraud is rare, and specialists warn the greater risk is confusion and diminished trust in results, with roughly one-third of 2024 votes cast by mail.