Trump Calls on Republicans to Vote Early and by Mail Ahead of Midterms

The message marks a notable shift because Trump has spent years denouncing mail-in voting and supporting legislation to limit it. The video also promoted a Republican Party website that outlines voting options.

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For more than a decade, Trump has characterized mail voting as fraudulent, describing it in past statements as “inherently corrupt” and “mail-in cheating.” He has repeatedly pushed the “SAVE America Act,” a federal proposal aimed at tightening mail-ballot procedures, and has sued states over early-voting rules. Despite this rhetoric, Trump has voted by mail himself, including in a Florida special election in March and again in the August primary, citing his status as president.

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A GOP campaign official told CNN that the president’s appeal is “all a turnout game,” emphasizing data-driven efforts to mobilize the base. The Supreme Court recently rejected sweeping restrictions that would have altered how mail ballots are sent, and it also blocked a separate Trump-backed effort to curb mail voting. Trump responded on social media, calling the nation’s mail-in system a “disaster” and a “Nation Destroying SCAM.” Democrats, meanwhile, face uncertainty as they seek to maintain voter enthusiasm amid declining confidence in the Postal Service.

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An NBC News poll shows fewer Democrats plan to vote by mail in the upcoming midterms than at the same point in 2024. A separate survey indicates growing doubt that mailed ballots will be delivered on time. Quentin James, founder and president of the Collective PAC, said his group is hearing “confusion” among Black voters about the security of mailed ballots.

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• “If your state has early voting, do not wait. Go out and vote,” — Donald Trump, president

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