US President Donald Trump has urged supporters to vote by mail if they want to in the November 3 congressional midterm elections, marking a notable change in tone after years of criticizing mail-in voting.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before leaving for a rally in Nebraska on Monday, Trump said supporters could use mail voting even though he personally preferred voting in person.
The remarks followed a campaign video posted over the weekend in which Trump urged Republicans to vote early, vote by mail or vote in person on Election Day, November 3.
Reuters reported that the shift follows years in which Trump portrayed mail-in voting as vulnerable to fraud. His latest message, by contrast, explicitly tells supporters that voting by mail is an available option.
Trump did not provide a clear explanation for the change in tone, and the development should not be treated as evidence of a specific motive beyond the public message itself.
The distinction matters because voting methods have been a recurring political issue in the United States. Mail voting expanded substantially during the 2020 election period, and Trump repeatedly criticized the practice during and after that campaign.
His latest comments do not amount to a change in election law. Voting rules, including eligibility and procedures for absentee or mail ballots, are governed by federal and state law and vary by jurisdiction. The significance of the remarks is political: the president is now directly encouraging his supporters to use a voting method he has long criticized.
The November 3 elections will determine control of Congress and include contests across the country. Trump’s weekend message presented early voting, mail voting and in-person Election Day voting as acceptable ways for Republican supporters to participate.
Reuters noted that it was not immediately clear why Trump had changed his tone. That uncertainty is important because explanations about campaign strategy or turnout effects would go beyond what Trump himself established in the remarks.
The verified development is therefore narrower but consequential: Trump has publicly told supporters that they can vote by mail and has included mail voting in an explicit call for Republicans to participate in the 2026 midterm elections.
Pakistan Report illustration.