Trump Voted by Mail in Florida Special Election Despite Rhetoric

The president cast a mail-in ballot for the 87th House district race, despite his past criticism of the practice.

Mar. 25, 2026 at 9:37am

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Public records show that President Donald Trump voted by mail in a special election for Florida's 87th House district, which includes his Mar-a-Lago estate, despite his longstanding rhetoric against voting by mail. Trump has spoken critically about mail-in voting for years and has pushed for restrictions on the practice, but he utilized it himself in this election.

Why it matters

Trump's use of mail-in voting despite his public opposition to the practice highlights the disconnect between his rhetoric and his personal actions. This raises questions about the president's stance on voting methods and whether he is willing to make exceptions for his own convenience.

The details

According to public records, Trump voted by mail ballot in the special election for Florida's 87th House district. This comes despite Trump's past criticism of mail-in voting, including as recently as Monday when he referred to it as "mail-in cheating." A White House spokesperson said Trump supports "commonsense exceptions" for mail-in voting, such as for illness or disability, but opposes universal mail-in voting due to concerns about fraud.

  • Trump voted by mail in the special election on March 23, 2026.
  • Trump made critical remarks about mail-in voting on March 22, 2026, a day before casting his own mail-in ballot.

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, who voted by mail in a Florida special election despite his past 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 the practice.

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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 SAVE America Act, promoted by Trump, would place some new requirements and restrictions on voting by mail. It remains to be seen if Trump's use of mail-in voting in this election will impact the legislation's progress.

The takeaway

Trump's use of mail-in voting despite his public opposition to the practice highlights the disconnect between his rhetoric and his personal actions. This raises questions about the president's true stance on voting methods and whether he is willing to make exceptions for his own convenience, even as he pushes for restrictions on the practice for others.