Trump urges Republicans to vote early and by mail ahead of midterms

President Donald Trump urged Republicans to use every available voting method in the November 3 midterm elections, including early and mail voting, in a message posted Saturday morning to his Truth Social account. CNN reported the message as a pre-recorded video; Newsweek described it as a Truth Social post. In the video, CNN quoted Trump as saying, “If your state has early voting, do not wait. Go out and vote,” and, “Vote early, vote by mail, or vote in person on Election Day.” [ 1 , 2 ]

Newsweek quoted the post as saying, “Republicans must WIN the 2026 Midterm Elections, and we must use every appropriate tool,” and, “Whether you vote early, absentee, by mail, or in-person, we must 'swamp' the Radical Left Dumocrats with massive turnout!” According to Newsweek, Trump also promoted a Republican voter outreach effort and directed supporters to the “Swamp the Vote” website for information on how and where to cast ballots. [ 2 ]

Both reports described the message as a contrast with Trump's long criticism of mail-in voting, which he has called insecure and susceptible to fraud, and noted that he has himself voted by mail. CNN said Trump has pushed to limit mail-in voting since the start of his second term, though many of those efforts have been blocked by courts. [ 1 , 2 ]

CNN reported that the Supreme Court last month rejected sweeping restrictions that would have changed how mail ballots are sent to voters ahead of the midterms, after state election officials warned they did not have enough time to enact provisions stemming from a March executive order. CNN said Trump reacted by labeling the country's mail-in voting system a “disaster” and a “Nation Destroying SCAM.” No other document describes the court decision or that reaction. [ 1 ]

Trump has also pressed Congress to enact restrictions on mail-in voting through the SAVE America Act, a federal elections overhaul bill that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. CNN said the bill has met bipartisan opposition in the Senate; Newsweek said Trump's efforts have included attaching the voting bill to a defense spending package, urging Senate Republicans to weaken or bypass the filibuster, and public pressure through Truth Social posts. Newsweek reported that supporters argue the proposal would strengthen election integrity, while opponents contend it could make voting harder for eligible citizens without significantly addressing noncitizen voting. [ 1 , 2 ]

CNN framed the push as part of a turnout-focused midterm strategy, quoting a GOP campaign official as saying, “It's all a turnout game,” and that the campaign committees and the president's political operation have shared data to target the voters they need. CBS News reported that Trump is now urging supporters to vote by mail despite previous fraud claims, and said its correspondents would also cover his latest campaign rally in a red state and poll numbers as the midterms approach. [ 1 , 4 ]