Trump vows voter ID mandate and limits on mail-in ballots ahead of 2026 midterms
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he plans to issue an executive order requiring all voters to present identification at the polls.
“Voter I.D. must be part of every single vote. NO EXCEPTIONS! I will be doing an executive order to that end!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He also called for severe restrictions on mail-in voting, stating: “No Mail-In Voting, except for those that are very ill, and the far away military.”
Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of the US electoral system and continues to claim, without evidence, that his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was due to widespread fraud.
In addition, he has advocated for the elimination of electronic voting machines in favor of paper ballots and hand counts—a method election officials say is more time-consuming, costly, and prone to errors.
Earlier in August, Trump indicated that he would issue an executive order to phase out mail-in ballots and voting machines before the 2026 midterms. However, elections in the United States are administered at the state level, raising questions about whether the president has the constitutional authority to enforce such measures.
The November 3, 2026, midterms will serve as the first nationwide test of Trump’s policies since he returned to office in January. Democrats aim to regain control of the House and Senate to block his domestic agenda.
According to BallotPedia, 36 states already require voter identification, with 25 mandating photo ID under certain exceptions, while 11 require ID without specifying photos. The remaining 14 states allow in-person voting without ID as of August 2025.
Trump’s criticism of mail-in voting and electronic machines comes amid ongoing redistricting efforts in several states ahead of the 2026 elections.
