Trump vows to target mail-in ballots ahead of 2026 midterm election
Donald Trump has pledged to issue an executive order to end mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterm elections, a move expected to face legal challenges from states. Trump, who continues to falsely claim victory in the 2020 election, has long questioned the security of mail-in voting. He also falsely stated that the U.S.
Donald Trump U.S. President Donald Trump pledged on Monday to issue an executive order to end the use of mail-in ballots and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, a move likely to spark legal challenges by the states. "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," he wrote in a social media post. Trump, who has promoted the false narrative that he, not Democrat Joe Biden, won the 2020 election, has long cast doubt on the security of mail-in ballots and urged his fellow Republicans to try harder to overhaul the U.S. voting system. Some Republican states, such as Florida, however, have embraced mail-in voting as a safe, convenient way to expand voter participation. Trump voted by mail in some previous elections and urged his supporters to do so for the 2024 presidential election.
Mail-in ballots hit record highs in the U.S. in 2020 amid the pandemic as states expanded options for voters, but the numbers dropped in 2024, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
More than two-thirds of voters in the 2024 general election cast their ballots in person, while about three in 10 ballots were cast through mail voting, according to the commission. Trump's comments follow his meeting with his Russian counterpart on Friday, after which Trump said Vladimir Putin agreed with him on ending mail-in balloting. Each of the 50 U.S. states runs elections separately, but Trump warned them to comply. "Remember, the States are merely an 'agent' for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes. They must do what the Federal Government, as represented by the President of the United States, tells them, FOR THE GOOD OF OUR COUNTRY, to do," Trump wrote. Trump repeated the false claim on Monday that the U.S. is the only country that permits mail-in balloting. Nearly three dozen countries from Canada to Germany and South Korea allow some form of postal vote, though more than half of them place some restrictions on which voters qualify, according to the Sweden-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, an intergovernmental advocacy group. Trump previously signed a March 25 executive order targeting elections that has been blocked by the courts after Democrat-led states sued.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 minutes ago
- First Post
Hamas accepts new Gaza ceasefire proposal, is ready to resume talks
The plan under discussion centres on a truce and phased hostage releases, with further negotiations over a longer-term settlement A drone view shows displaced Palestinians sheltering in tents set up near the rubble of buildings destroyed during the Israeli offensive, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City on February 17, 2025. Reuters File Hamas has accepted a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza and signalled readiness to resume talks, according to officials briefed on the mediation by Egypt and Qatar. The group told intermediaries it agreed to the plan without seeking changes. Israel has not issued a formal response. The initiative comes amid mounting international concern over an expanded Israeli campaign in and around Gaza City and a deepening humanitarian crisis. The plan under discussion centres on a truce and phased hostage releases, with further negotiations over a longer-term settlement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Inside the proposal An Islamic Jihad source, aligned with Hamas, said the draft envisages a 60-day ceasefire. In the first phase, 10 Israeli hostages would be freed alive along with a number of bodies, with remaining captives to be released in a second phase as talks continue. Recent tallies suggest 49 hostages remain in Gaza, including at least 27 the Israeli military assesses to be dead. There was no immediate public reply from the Israeli government on Monday (August 18). The latest proposal follows Israel's security cabinet approval of plans to expand operations in Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, a step that has drawn criticism abroad and stirred debate at home. Mediators from Egypt and Qatar, backed by the US, have pressed for a durable arrangement that could anchor further talks. As diplomacy intensified, President Donald Trump wrote that hostages would return 'when Hamas is confronted and destroyed'. Egypt has indicated it is willing to take part in an international force for Gaza if any deployment is backed by a UN Security Council resolution and tied to a political horizon. Mediators are expected to seek swift technical talks on sequencing any truce, hostage exchanges and humanitarian access. Whether Israel signs on will determine if the latest opening becomes a breakthrough. A dire humanitarian situation Nearly two years of war have left Gaza in ruins. The Palestinian health ministry says the death toll has passed 62,000, with aid agencies warning of famine and disease. On Monday, Amnesty International accused Israel of pursuing a deliberate policy of starvation. Israel rejects that characterisation and says it does not target civilians. With inputs from agencies
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
2 minutes ago
- First Post
European leaders unite behind Zelenskyy as Trump presses for deal 'favouring' Moscow
Leaders from the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and Nato gathered in Washington in a coordinated effort to show solidarity with Zelenskyy ahead of his potentially contentious meeting with President Trump US Chief of Protocol Monica Crowley greets Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as she arrives at the White House amid negotiations to end the Russian war in Ukraine, in Washington, D.C., US, 0n Monday. Reuters In a rare and pointed display of transatlantic unity, top European leaders arrived at the White House on Monday to back Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of his potentially contentious meeting with US President Donald Trump — where Zelenskyy is expected to face pressure to agree to a ceasefire deal that could favour Moscow. Leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union, and NATO gathered in Washington in a coordinated effort to show solidarity with Kyiv and to advocate for strong, enforceable security guarantees as part of any eventual post-war agreement, reported Reuters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Trump, who hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska just days ago with a warm reception, has made clear he wants a rapid resolution to what has become Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. But Kyiv and its allies remain deeply concerned that Trump may push for a deal aligned with Russian interests. Zelenskyy is set to meet with Trump at 1:15 pm EDT (1715 GMT) in the Oval Office — their first face-to-face since a tense and highly publicised meeting in February. Following that, Trump is scheduled to meet the assembled European leaders in the East Room at 3:00 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT). The high-level gathering, arranged at short notice, is being described as unprecedented in recent White House history. 'Russia can only be forced into peace through strength, and President Trump has that strength,' Zelenskyy wrote on social media after an earlier meeting with the US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg. Trump has rejected accusations that the Alaska summit had been a win for Putin, who has been indicted as a war criminal by the International Criminal Court and diplomatically isolated since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 'I know exactly what I'm doing, and I don't need the advice of people who have been working on all of these conflicts for years, and were never able to do a thing to stop them," Trump wrote on social media. Trump's team has said there will have to be compromises on both sides to end the conflict. But the president himself has put the burden on Zelenskiy to end the war, saying Ukraine should give up hopes of getting back Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, or of joining the NATO military alliance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Zelenskiy 'can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump said on social media. Putin's proposals Zelenskyy has already all but rejected the outline of Putin's proposals from the Alaska meeting. Those include handing over the remaining quarter of its eastern Donetsk region, which is largely controlled by Russia. Ukrainian forces are deeply dug into the region, whose towns and hills serve as a crucial defensive zone to stymie Russian attacks. Any changes to Ukraine's territory would have to be approved by a referendum. Zelenskiy is also seeking an immediate ceasefire to conduct deeper peace talks. Trump previously backed that idea but reversed course after the summit with Putin and indicated support for Russia's favoured approach of negotiating a comprehensive deal while fighting rumbles on. Ukraine and its allies have taken heart from some developments, including Trump's apparent willingness to provide post-settlement security guarantees for Ukraine. A German government spokesperson said on Monday that European leaders would seek more details on that in the talks in Washington. The war, which began with a full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, has killed or wounded more than a million people from both sides, including thousands of mostly Ukrainian civilians, according to analysts, and destroyed wide swaths of the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On the battlefield, Russia has been slowly grinding forward, pressing its advantages in men and firepower. Putin says he is ready to continue fighting until his military objectives are achieved. Officials in Ukraine said a drone attack on a residential complex in the northern city of Kharkiv killed at least seven people, including a toddler and her 16-year-old brother. Strikes also hit the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, killing three people, they said. Russia says it does not deliberately target civilians, and the Defense Ministry's daily report did not refer to any strike on Kharkiv. Local resident Olena Yakusheva said the strike hit an apartment block that was home to many families. 'There are no offices here or anything else, we lived here peacefully in our homes,' she said. Firefighters battled a blaze in the building and rescue workers dug in the rubble. Ukraine's military said on Monday that its drones had struck an oil pumping station in Russia's Tambov region, leading to the suspension of supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
India.com
2 minutes ago
- India.com
This is our internal matter, will not allow...China gets furious at Trump due to..., will this lead to bad relations between US and China?
New Delhi: The relations between America and China have once again started deteriorating. The main reason for this is the statement of US President Donald Trump. Trump made a statement a few days ago which has angered China. It has warned Trump not to interfere in China's internal affairs. It has also said that we will not allow any force to interfere in our internal affairs. Trump is busy persuading China these days so that he can finalise the trade agreement between the two countries. This will clear the way for America to get rare earth elements, which are very much needed by the American defence industry. What did Trump say about China? Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Friday, 15 August, that Chinese President Xi Jinping has told him that China will not attack Taiwan while he is in office. Trump said, 'Let me tell you, there is something similar between President Xi Jinping and the Taiwan president, but I don't think it's going to happen as long as I'm here. Let's see what happens. 'He told me, 'As long as you're president, I will never do that.' President Xi said this to me, and I said, 'Well, I appreciate it,' but he also said, 'But I'm very patient, and China is very patient,'' said Trump. China furious over Trump's statement When asked about Trump's remarks at a daily press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Taiwan is an inseparable part of Chinese territory. 'The Taiwan issue is entirely China's internal affair and how to resolve the Taiwan issue is a matter of the Chinese people,' she said. 'We will make every effort for the possibility of peaceful unification. But we will not allow anyone or any force to separate Taiwan from China,' she said. China considers Taiwan its territory and has vowed to reunify the island nation, while Taiwan strongly opposes China's sovereignty claims.
