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

CONNECTICUT — 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 Truth Social 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. But 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 Connecticut voters need to know about mail-in voting:

Connecticut Election Laws

Connecticut historically had restrictive absentee voting laws, requiring specific excuses like illness, military service, or being out of town. However, the times, they may be a-changin'. In November 2024, Connecticut voters approved a constitutional amendment that paves the way for no-excuse absentee voting. This amendment removes the requirement in the state constitution to provide an excuse for an absentee ballot. However, state lawmakers still need to pass legislation to establish a system for no-excuse absentee voting.

In the meantime, residents who can answer "yes" to any of the following questions are eligible to vote absentee:

• Are you an active member of the armed forces of the United States?
• Will you be out of town on Election Day?
• Does sickness prevent you from voting in person on Election Day?
• Do your religious beliefs prevent you from performing secular activities like voting on Election Day?
• Will you be performing duties as an election official at a polling place other than your own on Election Day?
• Does a physical disability prevent you from voting in person on election day?

States Run Elections

Unlike in many countries, elections in the U.S. 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. However, the US Constitution specifically states that the "times, places and manner of holding elections ... shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof."

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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.