Mail Voting Left Off Guest List As Republicans Advance Election Overhaul Trump Didn’t Order

Mail voting appears to have narrowly avoided legislative extinction this week after House Republicans advanced a sweeping election bill that carefully declined to include President Donald Trump’s preferred ban on the practice.

Trump has repeatedly called mail-in ballots “corrupt,” most recently telling reporters aboard Air Force One that Americans should question why such a system exists at all. He has long argued — despite limited evidence — that expanded mail voting contributed to his 2020 loss and has urged Congress to eliminate no-excuse mail ballots except in limited cases such as illness, disability, military service, or travel.

Congress, however, appears to have interpreted that request with selective enthusiasm.

The House passed the SAVE America Act last week, a wide-ranging elections package that includes stricter proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration and new photo ID rules for casting ballots. What it does not include is a ban on mail voting — despite Trump publicly calling for one just days before the vote.

Behind the scenes, the White House reportedly pushed to insert language prohibiting mail-in voting. That language did not survive the legislative editing process, largely because it risked losing support from Republicans representing competitive districts and states where mail voting has long been routine — and politically useful.

Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, facing a tight reelection contest, stated plainly that he supports the use of mail-in voting. He objected to unsolicited mass mailings of ballots but made clear he does not oppose the practice itself. Other Republicans struck similarly careful tones, especially those from states like Florida, where vote-by-mail has been normalized for decades without widespread documented abuse.

Meanwhile, party infrastructure tells a slightly different story. During the 2024 campaign cycle, the Republican National Committee and several state GOP organizations actively encouraged their voters to use mail-in ballots to increase turnout — a strategy they are reportedly planning to continue in 2026.

So while the president labels the system corrupt, much of his party appears to label it strategic.

The SAVE America Act now moves forward without the mail-in voting crackdown Trump demanded, leaving a familiar split-screen image in Washington:

The rhetoric is maximal.

The legislation is measured.

Mail ballots remain in circulation.

The debate, however, continues to arrive first class.