GOP State Leaders Defy Trump to Promote Mail-In Voting

Republican party leaders and operatives in battleground states including Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin are integrating mail-in voting into their 2026 midterm strategies. This shift directly defies efforts by Donald Trump to abolish the practice, which he characterizes as corrupt. GOP officials are utilizing digital ads, phone banks, and door-knocking campaigns to increase mail-ballot participation among low-propensity voters, while the Republican National Committee plans to expand on 2024 early voting campaigns.

State GOP chairs cite a structural advantage for Democrats in early voting as the primary driver for this change. Brian Schimming in Wisconsin and Greg Rothman in Pennsylvania have designated mail-in and early voting as priorities to avoid entering election nights with significant vote deficits. In Michigan, Jim Runestad has emphasized the necessity of engaging in absentee voting under current state law.

President Trump continues to push for a national ban on mail-in ballots and has urged Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster to achieve this goal. He previously signed an executive order in March 2025 to bar the counting of ballots arriving after Election Day, though most of that order was blocked by judges. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the legality of those restrictions.