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President Donald Trump voted by mail in Florida’s Republican primary Tuesday, marking the second time this year he has used a mail-in ballot despite years of criticizing the practice and pushing Congress to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting.
Trump, who maintains his legal residence in Palm Beach, requested a ballot in late July and returned it Aug. 13, according to voting records reported by Politico.
The White House defended Trump’s use of a mail ballot, arguing that his circumstances are different from those of most voters because he primarily resides at the White House in Washington.
“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. This is a non-story,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said.
The White House also reiterated Trump’s argument that limited exceptions for mail voting should remain available while opposing broader access to the practice.
“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,” the statement said. “But universal mail-in voting should not be allowed because it’s highly susceptible to fraud.”
Trump again uses mail ballot despite criticism
Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting, portraying it as vulnerable to fraud and accusing Democrats of using the system to manipulate elections.
Last month, Trump called mail-in voting “crooked as hell” during a public appearance.
Yet his own voting history includes multiple instances of casting ballots by mail.
Trump also voted by mail in a Florida state House special election in March. At the time, he acknowledged using a mail ballot and said his position as president justified his decision not to return to Florida to vote in person.
“Yeah I did,” Trump said when asked about the ballot. “You know why? Because I’m president of the United States.”
The president also previously voted by mail in Florida’s 2020 presidential primary after changing his official residence from New York to Florida in 2019.
The White House issued essentially the same explanation for Trump’s March ballot as it did for his latest vote.
SAVE America Act targets mail voting
Trump has made restrictions on voting by mail a central component of his election agenda.
He has repeatedly urged Republican senators to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, which would establish new requirements for voting and voter registration.
Among other provisions, the legislation would require voters to show identification at the ballot box and provide proof of citizenship when registering.
Trump has said he will not sign other legislation until the SAVE America Act reaches his desk. In a March 8 social media post, he said the measure “supersedes everything else.”
The administration has also pursued restrictions on mail-in voting through executive action.
Research finds mail fraud is rare
Trump’s claims about widespread fraud in mail voting have been challenged by election experts and researchers.
A November 2025 analysis by the Brookings Institution found that voter fraud involving mail ballots is rare and that voting by mail provides significant benefits to voters.
The debate over mail voting has intensified as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Earlier this month, roughly two dozen states and the District of Columbia asked the Supreme Court to reject the Trump administration’s effort to implement new restrictions on mail-in voting. The states argued that the proposed changes could disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of the elections.
The administration has maintained that stronger voting requirements are necessary to protect election integrity.
A growing political contradiction
Trump’s latest mail ballot highlights a tension between his personal use of the voting method and his broader political campaign against expanded mail-in voting.
The White House argues that Trump falls within the exceptions the president supports because of his residence in Washington and his travel obligations.
Critics, however, have pointed to the repeated use of mail ballots by Trump himself as evidence of a broader contradiction in his election policies.
The president’s position has remained that mail voting should be restricted for most Americans while allowing exceptions for circumstances such as illness, disability, military service and travel.
For Trump, that distinction means he can continue using a mail ballot while simultaneously campaigning for tighter restrictions on the practice nationwide.
