Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin told him that "You can't have an honest election with mail-in voting," and Trump announced plans to ban mail-in ballots by executive order. Trump posted on Truth Social that he would ban "MAIL-IN BALLOTS" to bring "HONESTY to the 2026 Midterm Elections." Trump declared mail-in voting a fraud during a White House press conference. The promised executive order had not appeared days later. The federal government has limited power over election administration, which is highly decentralized and primarily handled by state and local governments. Even a signed order would likely have little legal effect.
The idea, it seems, came from the Russian president. "Vladimir Putin, smart guy," Donald Trump told the Fox News television host Sean Hannity following the summit between the two leaders in Anchorage, Alaska. Putin, Trump reported, had told him, "You can't have an honest election with mail-in voting." And that, apparently, spurred the president to act-sort of. Days later, Trump posted on Truth Social
Even if Trump does end up signing a document that claims to prohibit mail-in ballots, though, such an order would likely have little legal power. The American system for administering elections is highly decentralized: The work of deciding how people should vote and of helping them do so is largely carried out at the state and local levels, with the federal government playing only a minor role.
Collection
[
|
...
]