Trump Voted by Mail in Florida Special Election Despite Rhetoric

The former president cast a mail-in ballot in the race for his home district, despite his long-standing opposition to the practice.

Mar. 24, 2026 at 9:37pm

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Public records show that former President Donald Trump voted by mail in a special election for the Florida statehouse district that includes his Mar-a-Lago estate, despite his longstanding rhetoric against voting by mail. Trump has criticized mail-in voting for years and even promoted legislation to restrict it, but he participated in the Florida election through an absentee ballot.

Why it matters

Trump's use of mail-in voting despite his public opposition to the practice highlights the disconnect between his rhetoric and actions on the issue. It also raises questions about the consistency of his stance, especially as he has sought to limit mail-in voting access for others.

The details

According to public records, Trump voted by mail in the special election for Florida's 87th House district. This comes despite Trump's repeated claims that mail-in voting is susceptible to "cheating" and his efforts to pass legislation like the SAVE America Act, which would place new restrictions on absentee balloting. A White House spokesperson said Trump supports "commonsense exceptions" for mail-in voting, such as for illness or military service, but opposes universal mail-in voting.

  • Trump voted by mail in the Florida special election on March 23, 2026.
  • Trump made remarks criticizing mail-in voting as recently as March 22, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who voted by mail in a Florida special election despite his longstanding rhetoric against the practice.

Olivia Wales

A White House spokesperson who defended Trump's use of mail-in voting, stating he supports "commonsense exceptions" for it.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Olivia Wales, White House Spokesperson

“mail-in voting means mail-in cheating — I call it mail-in cheating — and we got to do something about it all.”

— Donald Trump

What’s next

The results of the Florida special election will be closely watched to see if Trump's home district flips to the Democratic Party.

The takeaway

Trump's use of mail-in voting despite his public opposition to the practice underscores the political complexities and contradictions surrounding voting access issues, even among the highest levels of elected officials.