Trump Uses Mail Ballot in Florida Election While Pushing Limits on Absentee Voting

Trump cast a mail‑in ballot for a Florida state House race even as he warned that “mail‑in voting means mail‑in cheating.”
The former president, who lives in Palm Beach County, took part in a special election for House District 87 that includes his Mar‑a‑Lago home. He also used a mail ballot in the January primary for the same seat.

Earlier this week, Trump said on a crime panel that the United States is the only country that allows mail voting and that it opens doors to fraud. He called for tighter rules, especially on no‑excuse absentee ballots, as part of the “SAVE America Act.” The bill faces a tough fight in the Senate and is also being challenged before the Supreme Court, where Republicans want to shorten mail‑ballot deadlines.

A White House spokesperson said that Trump is a Florida resident and routinely votes there, but he mainly lives in Washington, DC. The spokesperson called the story “non‑story.” Trump’s post on Truth Social outlined his plan to let people vote by mail if they have an excuse such as illness, disability, military duty or travel.

The president has voted by mail before. In 2020 he used a ballot in the Florida presidential primary, labeling it an “absentee” vote. In 2024 he voted early in person for the presidential primary and again at a polling place near Mar‑a‑Lago during the general election.

Trump’s actions highlight a conflict: he questions mail voting while using it himself. Critics say this undermines his argument against absentee ballots, while supporters claim he is simply exercising a right granted by state law. The debate over mail voting rules continues as lawmakers and courts weigh the balance between accessibility and security.