US President declares end to voting by post

Speaking on the social network Truth Social, Mr. Trump said he would sign an executive order to “bring integrity to elections,” while also calling for an end to the use of controversial voting machines.

In the United States, 18 states allow absentee or mail -in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day. More than 30% of 2024 voters have chosen this option. Many studies and independent agencies have said there is no evidence that voting by mail is less secure, while some have argued that eliminating it could disenfranchise millions of voters with disabilities or mobility issues.

However, Mr. Trump has repeatedly made allegations of fraud, especially after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election to Democratic candidate Joe Biden. He also echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statement that voting by mail “threatens the integrity of the election.”

In fact, according to the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, at least 34 countries, including Germany, the UK, Denmark and Canada, allow postal voting.

In March, Mr. Trump signed an executive order asking the Justice Department to intervene with states that accept mail-in ballots after Election Day. However, a federal court ruled that the president did not have the authority to impose state election rules and invalidated the order. Accordingly, the US Constitution gives each state legislature the power to determine the “times, places, and manner of holding elections.”

Notably, Mr. Trump himself has voted by mail many times, including twice in Florida in 2020.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer criticized Mr Trump's move, saying it was an attempt to reinstate restrictions on voting rights. He asserted that Democrats would block any measures that would restrict people's right to vote.