Despite his consistent criticism of mail-in voting, former President Donald Trump again voted by mail in Florida's primary election, according to voting records. This marks the second time this year Trump has utilized mail-in ballots in the state.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales stated that Trump, a resident of Palm Beach, Florida, participates in state elections. "As everyone knows, the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C. This is a non-story," Wales said in response to a request for comment. She added that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act includes exceptions for mail-in ballots for illness, disability, military service, or travel, but argued that universal mail-in voting should be disallowed due to susceptibility to fraud. The SAVE Act also mandates voter ID at the ballot box and proof of citizenship for registration.
Voting records reportedly show Trump requested a mail ballot in late July and returned it by Aug. 13. Palm Beach County's supervisor of elections confirmed that the president's voter information is not publicly available. The White House stated that Trump has not visited Florida in months.
Trump has been a vocal critic of mail-in voting, frequently referring to it as a method susceptible to fraud. He has urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, asserting in a social media post in March that its passage "supersedes everything else" and that he would not sign any legislation until it reached his desk.
This stance contrasts with an analysis from the Brookings Institution in November 2025, which found that voter fraud is rare in mail-in voting. Earlier in the month, approximately two dozen states and the District of Columbia urged the Supreme Court to reject the Trump administration's request to implement new restrictions on mail-in voting, arguing that such measures could disenfranchise millions ahead of midterm elections.
In March, Trump defended his own use of a mail-in ballot, citing his position as president. "Yeah I did," Trump said when asked about casting a mail-in ballot. "You know why? Because I'm president of the United States. And because of the fact that I'm president of the United States, I did a mail-in ballot for elections that took place in Florida, because I felt I should be here instead of being in the beautiful sunshine [...]"
Trump previously voted by mail in the 2020 Florida presidential primary. He officially changed his place of residence from New York to Florida in September 2019. Additionally, Trump signed an executive order in March aimed at restricting mail-in voting.