President Donald Trump on Monday vowed to make more changes to the way elections are held in the US, but there is little he can do on his own, based on the constitution.
rely Misinformation and conspiracy theories What he was used to regularly Explain his 2020 election lossTrump pledged on his social media site that he would abolish both email voting – it It is popular and is used in about a third Of all voters, of the voting machines, in some way, are used by almost all of the country’s thousands of electoral jurisdictions. These are the same system That allowed Trump to win 2024 elections and Republicans to gain control of Congress.
Trump’s post shows escalation, even the election rhetoric he usually overheats. He published a wide range of Presidential Order Early this year Among other changes, Must be documented Proof of citizenship Before registering for votes. His Monday post promised another election order to “help bring integrity to the 2026 midterm elections.”
The same post also pushed forward the falsehood about voting. He argued that it was the only country that uses mail-in voting when it is actually used by dozens of people, including Germany, Switzerland and the UK.
On March 12, 2024, people vote at the polling station for the presidential primary in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)
Similar complaints from Trump when it aired on conservative and conservative networks such as Newsmax and Fox News. Millions of dollars Settlement of honor and loss, Including those announced on Monday, Because they were full of false information and the outlet couldn’t present it. evidence To support them.
Trump’s post comes after the president said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has become Indiana. Friday meeting in Alaskareflected his complaints about email voting and the 2020 election. Trump continued his mail-in voting and attacks on voting machines in his oval office on Monday. During the meeting With Ukrainian President Voldymi Zelensky.
The announcement shows another way Trump will try to stack cards in his favor in the 2026 midterm elections. Investigating democratic fundraising platforms And urged the nation Redraw their council district Help the GOP maintain a majority in the House of Representatives.
Here’s the breakdown and why Trump’s latest election post Congress is one entity It can implement national election rules.
Trump Post
I’ve had Trump for years Promoted misinformation Voting and Monday was no exception.
He argued that there was “massive scam” for mail-in voting when it is rare for people to actually vote for fraud in the US. For example, the Associated Press review after the 2020 election was found Less than 475 cases of potential fraud in Six Battlefields He challenged his loss and it’s too little to tilt that election towards Trump.
Washington and Oregon, who will vote in full by mail, have sued to challenge Trump’s previous executive order. The state argues that the president has no such authority and is seeking a declaration from a federal judge in Seattle.
President Donald Trump will gesture before greeting Ukrainian President Voldymee Zelensky on his arrival at the White House in Washington on Monday, August 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Trump also argued that voting machines are more expensive than “watermarks.” It is a small system that has gained favor and investment among several voting conspiracy theorists who believe it will help prevent fraudulent votes from being introduced into vote counts. Watermarks do not replace the voting machine as they do not provide a way to count the valots.
While some jurisdictions may use e-voting supplies to voters to vote, the majority of US voters have already voted for paper ballots and have created auditable vote records that provide additional protections that provide election security.
In his post, Trump also claimed he was “just a “agent” to the federal government in counting votes and counting,” and that he had to do what the federal government is telling them to do “as represented by the US president.”
The election lawyer said it was a misrepresentation of the US Constitution. It also flies in the face of what was the core Republican value of prioritizing the rights of the state.
Thousands of elections, not under presidential control
Unlike most countries, US elections are run by states. But it becomes more complicated. Each state then allows small jurisdictions, such as counties, cities, and towns, to hold their own elections. Election officials estimate there are 10,000 different electoral jurisdictions across the country.
A frequent complaint of Trump and other election conspiracy theorists is that the US does not vote like France does. But that’s because France operates only that single election, and all jurisdictions have the same votes as no other race.
US votes can include dozens of races, from the president to city councils, including state and local voting measures.
I will create a constitution state Entities that determine “Time, place, and how to do it” for electionshowever, Congress allows “creating” or “modifying” federal election rules.
Congress can change the way states run Congress and presidential elections, but they won’t say how states run their own elections. The president is not mentioned at all in the list of constitutional entities with the power to vote.
“The president is very limited to zero authority over matters related to the execution of elections,” said Rick Hasen, professor of election law at Los Angeles.
The court agreed – no president’s involvement
There were some of Trump’s previous executive orders regarding the election Blocked quickly by the courtbecause Congress, not the president, sets rules for federal elections.
It is unclear what Trump is going to do now, but the only way to change federal election rules is through Congress.
Republicans control Congress, but it is unknown that even his party would want to eliminate voting machines across the country. Even if they do so, the law would not be able to pass because Democrats could filibuster it in the US Senate.
Email Vote Although Trump had gained bipartisan support before opposing the Covid-19 pandemic and its 2020 election, it is still widely used in Republican states, including Arizona, Florida and Utah, which he won last November. It is also a way for those GOPLEANINE voters to be taken away by members of the military stationed abroad to vote and eliminate it completely.
The main significance of Trump’s Monday statement is that it shows his continued obsession with trying to change the way elections are carried out.
“These kinds of claims could provide some kind of excuse for him to try to interfere,” Hasen said. “I’m very worried about that.”
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Seattle Associated Press Writer Eugene Johnson contributed to the report.
