Despite extensive efforts by President Trump and other Republicans to downplay certain methods of voting, a recent study revealed that nearly a third of all votes in last fall’s presidential election were cast by mail.
According to reports from the US Election Support Commission (EAC) released this week, mail-in voting didn’t quite reach the peak levels seen during the pandemic four years earlier (43%). However, the 30.3% mail-in voting rate recorded last fall was significantly higher than pre-pandemic figures.
The analysis indicated that in the 2024 general elections, 37.4% of voters participated on Election Day, while another 35.2% took advantage of early in-person voting. In addition to military and overseas ballots, over 48 million mail-in votes were counted in the presidential election.
“State policies surrounding mail-in voting have changed significantly over recent election cycles,” EAC analysts noted.
Eight states, along with Washington, DC, conduct “all” or “most” mail elections, where ballots are sent to registered voters and can be returned via a secure dropbox or the postal service, as noted by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some other states also allow mail-in elections in specific areas.
The increasing acceptance of mail-in voting can, in part, be attributed to Trump’s claims regarding potential voter fraud. In March, he signed an executive order stating that all states must count mail-in ballots before Election Day—part of a broader election system overhaul prompted by unsubstantiated allegations of widespread fraud.
“Freedom, fairness, and the integrity of elections, untainted by fraud, error, or uncertainty, are crucial to sustaining our constitutional republic,” Trump stated in an order that was blocked by a federal judge last month. He emphasized that ensuring votes are counted accurately without illegal influences is essential for determining legitimate election outcomes.
Rather than abolishing early voting, Trump’s order aimed to address delays in vote counting, particularly in states like California, known for its all-mail voting system. In California, mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day are accepted up to a week after the election concludes.
Trump referred to other countries with stricter regulations on when votes—especially mail-in ones—can be counted. He noted, “While countries like Denmark and Sweden sensibly restrict mail-in voting options for those unable to vote in person, many American elections still rely on mass mail-in voting.”
The EAC’s conclusions stem from surveys of election officials across all 50 states, as well as territories like the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
