US President Donald Trump has urged Americans, particularly Republican voters, to use every available voting option in the upcoming midterm elections, including early and mail-in voting methods he has repeatedly criticised.
In a pre-recorded video shared on his Truth Social account on Saturday morning, Trump encouraged voters not to wait until Election Day where early voting is available.
“If your state has early voting, do not wait. Go out and vote,” Trump said in the video. “Vote early, vote by mail, or vote in person on Election Day.”
Trump’s appeal marks a notable shift in tone from his long-standing criticism of mail-in voting. Since returning to office for his second term, he has continued to push for restrictions on the practice, although several of his efforts have faced legal challenges.
The president’s latest message comes about a month before the midterm elections, with his political strategy focused heavily on mobilising his existing supporters rather than persuading undecided voters.
“It’s all a turnout game,” a GOP campaign official told CNN last month. “From day one, the campaign committees and the president’s political operation have been sharing data to make sure we’re hammering the exact people we need to turn out.”
Trump’s position on mail voting has been a recurring issue. The Supreme Court recently rejected sweeping restrictions that could have altered the way mail ballots were distributed ahead of the midterms.
The decision followed warnings from state election officials that they lacked sufficient time to implement the proposed changes, which were linked to an executive order Trump issued in March.
Trump reacted angrily to the ruling in a lengthy social media post, describing the country’s mail-in voting system as a “‘disaster,’ which is a laughing stock all over the World, and where we are the only country that has to endure such a Nation Destroying SCAM.”
The president has also backed congressional efforts to introduce tighter restrictions on mail-in voting through the “SAVE America Act”, an election overhaul proposal that has faced opposition from lawmakers in both parties in the Senate.
Despite his criticism of mail voting and repeated claims about widespread fraud — claims that have been rejected — Trump has himself continued to vote by mail.
He used mail voting during a Florida state House special election in March.
Trump’s latest message is also not the first occasion on which his campaign has encouraged voting methods he has previously questioned.
During the 2024 election, his campaign launched “Swamp The Vote USA”, a programme aimed at encouraging supporters to use absentee, mail and early voting.
Trump referenced that initiative in his latest video as he urged Republicans to maximise turnout.
More than one million ballots had already been cast with one month remaining before the midterms. In several states hosting closely watched Senate or gubernatorial contests, Democrats accounted for a larger proportion of voters requesting ballots at this stage than they did at the same point in 2024.
Democrats have also, in recent election cycles, been more likely than Republicans to cast their ballots before Election Day.
Trump’s latest appeal therefore places greater emphasis on using early and mail voting as part of the broader Republican effort to mobilise voters ahead of the midterm elections.
