Trump Administration Falsely Claims Jimmy Carter Opposed Mail Ballots

The 2005 report the administration cited actually supported mail-in voting with safeguards, not an outright ban.

Published on Mar. 12, 2026

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The Trump administration is misrepresenting former President Jimmy Carter's views on mail-in and absentee ballots, claiming he opposed them due to fraud concerns. However, Carter supported mail-in voting and used it himself, and the 2005 report the administration cited actually recommended ways to reduce fraud risks while encouraging further research on the pros and cons of mail-in voting.

Why it matters

This case highlights how the Trump administration is selectively using a 20-year-old report to justify new voting restrictions, despite the report's actual findings and Carter's own support for mail-in ballots. It raises concerns about the administration's efforts to undermine confidence in election integrity ahead of the midterm elections.

The details

The 2005 report by the Commission on Federal Election Reform, co-chaired by Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker, stated that absentee and mail-in ballots can create opportunities for fraud. However, the report did not discourage the use of mail-in voting, and instead suggested ways to reduce the risk of fraud and called for further research on the issue. Experts say there is no evidence that mail-in and absentee voting leads to widespread fraud, either now or 20 years ago.

  • In May 2020, Carter publicly endorsed mail-in voting and absentee ballots amid concerns about elections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • In September 2020, Carter said: 'I approve the use of absentee ballots and have been using them for more than five years.'

The players

Jimmy Carter

Former President of the United States who supported mail-in voting and used it himself.

Donald Trump

Former President of the United States who made false claims about Carter's views on mail-in ballots.

Karoline Leavitt

White House press secretary who also made false claims about Carter's views on mail-in ballots.

Jason Carter

Chair of The Carter Center's board of trustees and Carter's grandson, who stated that Carter supported mail-in voting.

Mark Lindeman

Policy and strategy director at Verified Voting, a nonpartisan group focused on election technology, who stated that there is no evidence of widespread mail-in voting fraud.

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What they’re saying

“My grandfather supported mail-in voting - so much so that he used it himself.”

— Jason Carter, Chair of The Carter Center's board of trustees (The Associated Press)

“I urge political leaders across the country to take immediate steps to expand vote-by-mail and other measures to help protect the core of American democracy — the right of our citizens the vote.”

— Jimmy Carter (The Associated Press)

“I approve the use of absentee ballots and have been using them for more than five years.”

— Jimmy Carter (The Associated Press)

“There's no evidence that mail-in voting fraud was rampant then, and it's not rampant now.”

— Mark Lindeman, Policy and strategy director at Verified Voting (The Associated Press)

The takeaway

This case highlights the Trump administration's efforts to undermine confidence in election integrity by selectively using a 20-year-old report to justify new voting restrictions, despite the report's actual findings and Carter's own support for mail-in ballots. It raises concerns about the administration's motives and the need for fact-based, nonpartisan approaches to election policy.