In a recent post on Truth Social, former President Donald Trump announced his intent to spearhead efforts to eliminate mail-in voting and “inaccurate” voting machines in preparation for the mid-term elections in 2026.
He mentioned plans to issue an executive order aimed at ensuring “integrity” in upcoming midterm elections, claiming that elections involving mail-in ballots are “never honest.” Trump stated, “I’m going to lead the movement to abolish mail-in votes. There’s also this voting machine that’s, well, I don’t want to say it’s a disaster, but it’s expensive and very controversial.”
He further expressed his belief that the U.S. stands alone in using mail-in voting, arguing that most other countries have abandoned it due to rampant voter fraud. “We’re just getting started on this initiative,” he added.
Election integrity has been a crucial focus for both Trump and the Republican National Committee (RNC) since the 2020 election cycle. A consent decree from 1982 had previously limited the GOP’s ability to engage in election integrity actions, stemming from a lawsuit by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Fortunately for the Republicans, this restriction was lifted in 2018.
According to RNC officials, the committee launched a concerted election integrity effort in 2022, which, by the time of the 2024 presidential election, had evolved into a dedicated division covering communication, politics, and legal aspects.
In the first election cycle as a formal division, the RNC reportedly initiated over 100 election integrity lawsuits across 20 states. The RNC also boasts a massive volunteer force, with around 230,000 supporters and about 6,500 lawyers, highlighted by RNC Chairman Michael Whatley.
Looking to the upcoming midterms, Trump is actively promoting measures that focus on election integrity. Whatley noted that the GOP is particularly concentrating on Senate races in Georgia, North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, and Kentucky, while also keeping a close eye on congressional seats in traditionally Democratic areas like New York and California.
In his post, Trump lamented the influence of what he terms “radical leftist policies,” including issues around immigration and gender sports, claiming these stances have made Democrats less relevant. He reiterated his skepticism about mail-in voting, calling it “this email-in voting hoax” and describing the current system as a “complete disaster.” “Without fair elections and strong borders, there’s no real country,” Trump concluded, urging immediate action on the matter.
