The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for March 12, 2026
In the 2024 election, mail-in ballots accounted for 30.3% of votes cast, with some states offering universal mail ballots, and others permanent absentee lists or no-excuse absentee. So why is the Trump administration throwing everything at the wall to end it before the 2026 midterms?
President Trump continues to claim, without evidence, that mail-in voting contributed to widespread fraud in the 2020 and subsequent elections. A more likely reason for eliminating mail ballots? Polling shows 83% of Democrats support mail-in voting but only 32% of Republicans, according to Pew Research.
In March 2025, Trump’s executive order on elections mandated mail-in ballots to be received on or before election day. The SAVE America Act, now before the U.S. Senate, goes further eliminating universal and no-excuse absentee, and allowing only excuse-required absentee ballots. It would also eliminate ballot drop boxes, where in 2024, voters returned 15 million ballots in 36 states. A draft executive order declaring a national emergency recently floated by election-denier activists has similar provisions.
Despite the baseless bluster on mail-in ballots, the SAVE America Act is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate. Trump’s March 2025 order has been largely neutralized because the president has no constitutional jurisdiction over elections, as would any election restrictions using a national emergency declaration as a pretext.
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Election Administration and Voting Survey 2024 Comprehensive Report
MIT Election Data & Science Lab – (2022 – Updated Feb. 2024) Voting by mail and absentee voting
National Vote at Home Institute – State by State Mail-In Voting Options
Center for Election Innovation & Research – Data Dive: The Growth of Early In-Person and Mail Voting
Pew Research – Majority of Americans Continue to Back Expanded Early Voting, Voting by Mail, Voter ID
The White House – PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
U.S. Congress – SAVE America Act
Democracy Docket – Read a draft of the emergency executive order for Trump to take control of elections
Related ADM Reports:
American Democracy Minute – Americans Like Voting Early, and Other Lessons from the 2024 Election U.S. Election Assistance Commission Follow Up Report
American Democracy Minute – An Activist-Proposed National Emergency Executive Order Would Trump State Election Law. Scholars Say It’s Unconstitutional.
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
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