Despite frequently criticizing mail-in voting and pushing to restrict its use, President Donald Trump utilized a mail-in ballot himself during Florida’s recent primary election.
Politico initially broke the news on August 17, citing Palm Beach County records showing that Trump submitted a mail ballot for the primary, which featured the closely watched gubernatorial race.
However, when the county elections website was checked the following day, August 18, Trump’s voting record could not be located or had been designated as “protected from public disclosure.”
When questioned about the conflicting information, a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County supervisor of elections directed inquiries to a state statute that restricts the release of such data. Meanwhile, the White House did not dispute that the president voted by mail, dismissing the controversy as a “non-story.”
“As President Trump has said, the SAVE America Act has commonsense exceptions for Americans to use mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military, or travel — but universal mail-in voting should not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud,” White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told PolitiFact. “As everyone knows, the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C.”
Trump has been actively lobbying lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, a proposal that would mandate documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and require government-issued photo ID at the polls. While the president envisioned the legislation as a way to curtail mail-in voting, numerous Republicans—many of whom rely on absentee ballots to win elections—have been hesitant to dismantle mail-in systems governed by state regulations. Following its passage in the House in February, the bill has remained stalled in the Senate.
Throughout his political career, Trump has repeatedly promoted unfounded claims linking mail-in voting to widespread fraud, including assertions that have earned failing grades such as Pants on Fire ratings.
In reality, millions of Americans cast mail-in ballots during every election cycle, and comprehensive reviews of court records and academic studies consistently show that ballot fraud is vanishingly rare.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the administration of elections falls to individual states rather than Congress. Currently, a slight majority of states automatically send mail-in ballots to any voter who requests one. Others require a specific valid excuse, such as an illness or travel plans, while eight states conduct all-mail elections entirely.
Florida introduced no-excuse absentee voting with strong bipartisan backing following the contentious 2000 presidential election recount, meaning residents do not need a reason to request a mail ballot.
“Everybody wanted to clean up the mess,” noted Susan MacManus, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of South Florida. “They were thinking that would be a way to improve turnout.”
Over time, voting by mail gained immense popularity among Florida seniors, university students, and frequent travelers. During the 2024 elections, approximately 1 million Florida Republicans and 1.25 million Democrats cast their ballots through the mail.
The August primary was not an isolated incident for Trump during his current term. He also opted to vote by mail during a March special state House election.
Similarly, Trump utilized mail-in ballots during the 2020 primaries. As a former New York resident, he frequently voted via absentee ballot as well. Back in 2004, after failing to locate his designated polling place, he famously completed a ballot in the back seat of a vehicle—an episode captured on camera by Access Hollywood, which reported that he submitted a provisional ballot.
“At least you can say the Trumpster doesn’t give up,” Trump remarked at the time. “You’ve gotta vote.”
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