Trump Vows To End Mail-In Ballots: What IL Voters Need To Know

ILLINOIS — President Donald Trump vowed on his social media platform this week to make changes in how U.S. elections are conducted, including one that would end mail-in voting for the 2026 midterms.

Trump pledged on his social media site that he would do away with both mail voting and voting machines. Trump’s post came after the president told Fox News that Russian President Vladimir Putin, in their Friday meeting in Alaska, echoed his grievances about mail voting and the 2020 election.

Trump has claimed there is “massive fraud” due to mail voting, when in fact voting fraud in the U.S. is rare. As an example, an Associated Press review after the 2020 election found fewer than 475 cases of potential fraud in the six battleground states where he disputed his loss, far too few to tip that election to Trump.

Here’s what Illinois voters need to know about mail-in voting:

Illinois Election Laws

Here are some of the key provisions in Illinois election laws as they relate to mail-in voting, according to Vote411.org:

• Vote-by-mail (absentee voting) is available in Illinois and no excuse is required.
• The last day to request an absentee ballot by mail is five days before the election. Residents can return their absentee ballot request form through the mail, a secure drop box, or in person.
• Voted ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within two weeks in order to be counted.
• Absentee ballots begin being counted on Election Day.
• Registered voters in Illinois may apply to be added to a permanent vote-by-mail list.

In last year's presidential election, more than one million Illinois residents voted by mail, a significant drop from the 2020 election. That presidential election was held at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and more than two million voters in the state sent their ballot in by mail.

In May 2020, Gov. JB Pritzker supported the passage of Senate Bill 1863, which ensured all recent voters receive a vote by mail application.

"Sending vote-by-mail applications to residents who have participated in recent elections will allow more people to vote from the safety of their own homes and help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities," Pritzker said at the time regarding the expansion of vote by mail in Illinois.

Regarding Trump's overtures to end mail-in voting, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) weighed in Tuesday.

"The bottom line: President Trump wants to silence the American people by making it more difficult for Americans to vote," Durbin said on X. "Calling to get rid of mail-in ballots is an attack on our fundamental right to vote. I’ll continue fighting to protect our democracy."

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice requested Illinois officials to provide federal authorities with voters' driver's license numbers and partial social security numbers. The Illinois State Board of Elections said it is reviewing the request.

RELATED: Federal Authorities Demand IL Voter Information

States Run Elections

Constitutionally, Trump is on shaky ground. Unlike in many countries, elections are run by states.

Trump claimed in his social media post that states “are merely an agent for the Federal Government in counting and tabulating the votes” and must do what the federal government “as represented by the President of the United States” tells them to do.

Election lawyers said that’s a misrepresentation of the U.S. Constitution.

A Patchwork Of State Laws

Two states with vote-by-mail elections, Washington and Oregon, are challenging an earlier executive order by Trump that sought to require that all ballots be received by Election Day (not just postmarked).

The states argue that the president has no such authority, and they are seeking a declaration from a federal judge in Seattle that their postmark deadlines do not conflict with federal law setting the date of U.S. elections.

Six other states and Washington, D.C., allow elections to be conducted entirely by mail: California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Vermont.

States have a patchwork of election laws that accommodate their individual needs and circumstances.

Counties in North Dakota and Nebraska can opt for elections by mail, and nine states — Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico and Wyoming — allow specific small elections to be conducted by mail. Additionally, Idaho, Minnesota, New Jersey and New Mexico permit mostly mail elections for certain small jurisdictions.

What’s The Issue With Voting Machines?

Trump said in his post that voting machines are more expensive than “Watermark Paper,” a little-used system that has gained favor and investments among some voting conspiracy theorists who believe it would help prevent fraudulent ballots from being introduced into the vote count.

However, watermark paper would still have to be fed through some sort of tabulating machine.

While some jurisdictions still have voters use electronic ballot-marking devices to cast their votes, the majority of U.S. voters already vote on paper ballots, creating an auditable record of votes that provides an extra safeguard for election security.

What Happens Next?

Only Congress can implement new election rules under the Constitution. While the document is clear that state entities determine the “time, place and manner of elections, it does allow Congress to “make” or “alter” rules for congressional and presidential elections. Importantly, the president isn’t mentioned at all in the Constitution’s list of entities with powers over elections.

Although Republicans control Congress, it’s unclear that even his party would want to eliminate voting machines nationwide, possibly delaying vote tallies in their own races by weeks or months. Even if they did, legislation would likely be unable to pass because Democrats could filibuster it in the U.S. Senate.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.