Trump finally ditches mail-in ballot and will vote early in person in Florida
WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is set to cast his vote early in Palm Beach County, Florida.
He and First Lady Melania Trump will vote in person, ditching the mail-in ballot, which Trump has described as a tool for voter fraud despite frequently using the system to cast his own ballot.
Trump to cast an early in-person vote in Florida
While Trump has historically preferred voting by mail or on Election Day, he is casting his ballot in person during Florida's designated early voting window, which runs from October 24 through October 31.
On the campaign trail this week, the president said that he prefers to vote on Election Day, November 3. Voting early lets him cast his ballot at home in Palm Beach County, where he is registered, while he campaigns.
Trump's Election Day plans are not yet clear. He didn't answer when reporters asked this week what he'll be doing that day.
The president has been traveling frequently to hold midterm rallies for Republicans. He was in South Carolina on Wednesday night and Iowa on Thursday night.
On Friday, he will deliver remarks in Fort Myers, Florida, before heading to Mar-a-Lago.
Trump used mail-in ballots despite rallying against the system
President Trump has often opted for mail-in ballots or absentee voting, even in Florida Republican primaries a few months ago.
Palm Beach County voting records show that he requested a mail ballot in late July and returned it on August 13, just days before the primary race.
The Florida primary marked the second time this year that Trump has reportedly used a mail-in ballot in his adopted home state.
Trump previously voted by mail in a Florida special election in March, even as he was publicly criticizing the practice. At the time, Trump said that he chose to vote by mail because he was the president.
However, records showed that Trump was in Palm Beach when early in-person voting was available, the Associated Press previously reported. The White House had earlier dismissed criticism over Trump’s voting decision as a “non-story.”
In July, Trump called mail-in ballots “inherently corrupt” and pushed for restrictions on their use. He said mail voting should generally be limited to cases such as illness, disability, military service or travel.
However, fact-checkers have found no evidence of widespread fraud in mail voting. A 2025 Brookings Institution study estimated about four cases of mail-voting fraud for every 10 million mail ballots cast.
