Trump Votes by Mail While Continuing to Denounce the Practice
PALM BEACH, Fla. – Former President Donald Trump cast a mail-in ballot in a special election in Florida, even as he continues to publicly claim mail-in voting is rife with fraud. Records from Palm Beach County show his ballot was received and counted, a practice he has repeatedly condemned, most recently on Monday.
“Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating. I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to do something about it all,” Trump said, according to reports.
This isn’t the first time Trump has voted by mail while simultaneously criticizing the method. He did so during the 2020 election cycle, explaining at the time he voted absentee because he was at the White House and unable to vote in person in Florida.
The hypocrisy has drawn scrutiny. In 2020, when questioned by NBC News about his use of mail-in voting despite his public criticisms, Trump stated there was a “big difference” between his situation and others, falsely claiming widespread fraudulent activity by individuals filling out ballots in their homes.
Trump’s continued attacks on mail-in voting are central to his broader efforts to reshape election laws. He is currently pushing for the passage of the SAVE America Act, a bill that would add voter ID and proof of citizenship requirements to federal elections. Despite his claims, the bill would not end mail-in voting, but would make it more complicated by requiring voters to submit a photocopy of their photo ID with their ballot. The bill is currently stalled in the Senate.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales defended Trump’s participation in mail-in voting, stating the SAVE America Act allows for exceptions for those with illness, disability, military service, or travel. She dismissed the issue as a “non-story,” noting Trump is a resident of Palm Beach but primarily lives in Washington, D.C.
The former president also falsely claimed the United States is the only country that utilizes mail-in voting, a statement contradicted by data from the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, which tracks voting practices globally and identifies at least 32 countries that allow voters to cast ballots through the mail.
The special election in Florida’s 87th House district, where Trump endorsed Republican Jon Maples, is taking place Tuesday. Trump encouraged supporters to “get out and vote” in a recent post on Truth Social. Democrats have flipped nine state legislative seats in special elections since Trump began his second term, signaling a potential shift in political momentum.
