Despite calling for an end to mail-in voting, President Donald Trump recently mailed his ballot ahead of Tuesday’s special election in Florida.
Trump defended the move this week despite his long-standing opposition to mail-in ballots.
“You know what, because I’m president of the United States … I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida because I felt I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sunshine,” Trump said.
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When reminded that he spent recent weekends at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump responded, “That’s right. Yeah. And I decided that I was going to vote by mail-in ballot because I couldn’t be there because I had a lot of different things.”
Trump has spent parts of the last two weekends at Mar-a-Lago. In-person early voting ran March 14‑22.
Since his 2020 election loss, Trump has frequently questioned results from states that allow mail-in voting and do not require voter identification. Multiple audits and reviews have found no evidence of widespread fraud, with only isolated cases of illegal voting.
Some states eased mail-in voting rules in 2020, extending early voting periods and other measures to make voting from home easier during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Democrats sought to highlight what they see as a contradiction. Trump has pushed for nationwide election changes including eliminating mail-in voting, requiring photo ID at polling places, and proof of citizenship when registering.
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“For years, Donald Trump has been railing against voting by mail, only to turn around and vote by mail in the special election that’s taking place today in Florida,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Tuesday. “That’s king-like behavior, rules for me that don't apply but not for thee. That’s his position. And this legislation, the so‑called SAVE Act, has nothing to do with ensuring that elections are conducted with integrity.”
The United States Democracy Center said 31% of voters in the 2024 election cast ballots by mail.
