Postal workers condemned President Trump’s recent pronouncement targeting voting-by-mail. “He has once again resorted to spreading misinformation about mail-in voting—a time-tested, secure, and essential democratic practice that tens of millions of Americans rely on to cast their ballots,” read the statement.
Legal experts have pointed out that a presidential move to ban vote-by-mail should be ruled unconstitutional. Speaking to PBS News Hour, Rick Hasen a professor of law and political science at UCLA, pointed out that states and, in some cases, Congress, decide on election rules, not the president.
“He can’t just decree that we don’t have mail-in balloting anymore. The Constitution says that each state gets to set its own rules for running elections … The Constitution does say that Congress can override [states’ powers on federal elections] … But the President doesn’t have the power,” said Hasen.
Vote-by-mail is a widely popular and convenient way for citizens to cast their ballots in US elections. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in August 2025, a large majority of people believes that all citizens should be able to vote-by-mail.
It is the first choice of voting method for many: especially seniors, people with disabilities, military members, rural voters, and working families. In 2024, almost one third of voters cast their ballots by mail. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 43 percent of voters cast their vote by mail.
Voting-by-mail increases voter participation in elections – especially in states where ballots are mailed to all voters. Studies have shown that this practice can significantly increase election turnout. The August 2025 Pew study found that bipartisan support for vote-by-mail is greater in states where the practice is most widespread. The greatest support comes in states that mail ballots to all voters, suggesting that, where it is tried, voters like to vote-by-mail.
Direct attacks on vote-by-mail from the White House are a risk to democracy, despite being clearly illegal. The attacks may not survive legal challenges, but they could spur local or state-based attacks on our democratic rights.
It is vital that we remain vigilant and urge our elected officials to strengthen, not weaken our democratic rights. As the APWU states: “We strongly and absolutely condemn these reckless attacks and call on elected officials at the local, state, and national level to reaffirm their commitment to protecting vote-by-mail, the Postal Service, and the democratic rights of every American.”