White House officials said Wednesday that President Donald Trump is committed to making sure overseas and out-of-state military ballots are still counted in upcoming elections, even while he pushes for significant changes in how states handle mail-in voting procedures.
But administration officials would not say what protections will be put in place for mail-in military voting rules, which impact more than 1 million active-duty service members each election cycle.
In a social media post Monday, Trump vowed to “get rid of mail-in ballots,” claiming they are used to commit widespread voter fraud. Multiple past independent reviews of state mail-in voting procedures and results do not support that claim.
The president also insisted in the post that “we are now the only country in the world that uses mail-in voting,” which is also false. Whether Trump can ban or limit mail-in voting remains unclear, since states handle their own mail-in voting rules.
However, any proposed or enacted changes could have significant consequences for military members and their families stationed overseas or outside of states where they are registered to vote. In the 2024 election cycle, more than 980,000 troops, family members and U.S. citizens living abroad cast ballots through the mail.
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In April, several military advocates joined a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of an executive order from Trump imposing stricter requirements for casting a ballot, including ending ballot counting after Election Day for votes delayed in the postal system and requiring extra documentation for voters who don’t appear in person to vote.
Currently, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act requires states to transmit absentee ballots to eligible voters — including troops and their families — who have requested them, no later than 45 days before a federal election. That’s designed to give time to voters to complete their ballots and mail them back.
Participating voters must already submit proof of citizenship and voting eligibility, but the administration has pushed for further restrictions.
In response to a question on the latest mail-in ballot crackdown, White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said Trump’s goal is to “secure America’s elections and protect the vote, restoring the integrity of our elections by requiring voter ID, ensuring no illegal ballots are cast, and preventing cheating through lax and incompetent voting laws.”
Pentagon officials have not made any public comments about the impact mail-in voting changes could have on the military.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
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