Trump’s Attempt to Eliminate Mail-In Voting Is an Attack on Democracy and Would Disenfranchise Over 166 Million Americans
Washington, D.C. — Today, in response President Trump pledging to issue an executive order to end the use of mail-in ballots, Voto Latino President and Co-Founder María Teresa Kumar issued the following statement:
“President Trump’s push to eliminate mail-in voting is a part of his systemic and deliberate assault on our democracy. With one of the most consequential midterm elections on the horizon, Trump and Republicans are trying to stack the deck in their favor instead of wooing millions of voters with polices that aid instead of maiming American workers. By rushing redistricting schemes and manipulating election rules under the false guise of ‘election protection,’ they are attempting to predetermine the outcome and cling to power—at the expense of the American people and the core principles of our democratic system.
“Eliminating vote-by-mail would not only disenfranchise millions of Americans who depend on it—including seniors, people with disabilities, and working parents—it would also open the door to intimidation and chaos at the polls. We should aim to modernize our election process to fit the needs of the 21st century instead of re-hashing 20th century suppression tactics that do a disservice to democracy writ large. This is lazy politicking reminiscent of 1800’s Tamaney Hall’s William Tweed.”
Communities That Would Be Disenfranchised with the Loss of Mail-In Voting
- Americans Voting by Mail Due to Disability
People with disabilities rely heavily on mail-in voting as a critical access point to the democratic process. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 61 million adults in the United States. In the 2020 U.S. general election, more than 17 million of Americans with disabilities cast their ballots by mail. This accounted for 11.4% of the total voter turnout. In the 2022 midterms, the trend continued, with 15.8 million people with disabilities voting, representing 13.0% of all voters.
- Family Caregivers Voting by Mail
Over 105 million Americans provide care to loved ones—parents, spouses, or children—with long-term needs. Many of these family caregivers face time constraints or mobility obstacles that make it difficult to vote in person, making mail‑in ballots a vital tool to ensure their voices are still heard at the ballot box.
- Military and Civilian Americans Abroad
U.S. citizens overseas—particularly uniformed service members—often register to vote using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) via mail, fax, or email. In the 2020 U.S. General Election, approximately 1.2 million absentee ballots were transmitted to military and overseas voters. These methods would no longer be valid, potentially disenfranchising thousands.
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Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered nearly two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.