WASHINGTON () President Donald Trump on Monday claimed mail-in ballots are “corrupt,” hours after pledging to sign an executive order to eliminate them along with “seriously controversial” voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“You can never have a real democracy with mail-in ballots,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “And we, as the Republican Party, are going to do everything possible to get rid of mail-in ballots. We’re going to start with an executive order that’s being written right now by the best lawyers in the country to end mail-in ballots because they’re corrupt.”

For years, Trump has pushed unproven claims about widespread voter fraud involving mail-in ballots. He repeatedly described his 2020 election defeat as “rigged,” pointing to expanded mail-in balloting allowed during the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump aims to ‘silence Americans’: Sen. Chuck Schumer

Nearly a third of ballots cast in the 2024 election were submitted by mail, according to a U.S. Election Assistance Commission report released in June. While mail-in ballots didn’t hit the record 43% level seen during the height of the pandemic, they accounted for 30.3% of all ballots cast in the election, well above pre-pandemic levels.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized Trump’s comments.

“Two facts: Donald Trump lost the 2020 election and vote by mail is safe, secure, and reliable. Let’s be clear – this is not based in fact or reality, but it is yet another way for Trump to silence Americans from using their voice in the democratic process and implement Jim Crow laws across America,” Schumer said in a statement Monday. “Senate Democrats will make sure that any and every measure that would make it even more difficult for Americans to vote will be dead on arrival in the Senate and will continue to fight to protect our democracy.”

Thirty-four countries allow voting by mail in some capacity, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, and 12 of those offer universal mail-in voting, including Canada, Germany, South Korea and the United Kingdom.

States responsible for own election rules

In the United States, eight states, along with Washington, D.C., conduct elections entirely by mail. In those states, voters automatically receive a ballot without needing to request one.

An additional 28 states offer no-excuse absentee voting, which allows registered voters to request and cast mail-in ballots without providing a reason.

Since 2020, Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that widespread voter fraud involving mail-in ballots cost him the election. Ahead of the 2024 election, however, he urged his supporters to vote by mail.

Trump has also criticized voting machines, calling them too costly compared to paper ballots.

“For all of the money they spend, it’s approximately ten times more expensive than paper ballots, and paper ballots are very sophisticated with the watermarked paper and everything else,” he said.

Advocates of mail-in voting argue it increases voter participation and makes it easier for those who may have difficulty accessing the polls, such as seniors, those with disabilities, overseas military personnel and others unable to reach polling places on Election Day.