President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to tighten the rules on voting by mail, in a move that seeks to guarantee the integrity of the 2026 midterm elections. During the ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump stressed that the measure aims to ensure that voters are verified and that electoral processes are “
honest and reliable.”The order states that each state must create a list of citizens eligible to vote, and that only those included in that list will receive ballots by mail. In addition, ballots must be sent in secure envelopes with bar codes that allow them to be tracked throughout the sending and receiving process, minimizing the risk of fraud. Trump called the system “fail-proof” and assured that, even if it could be legally evaluated, its implementation will protect electoral transparency
.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in collaboration with the Social Security Administration, will be responsible for drawing up voter lists. For its part, the Department of Justice will investigate any irregularities related to the distribution of ballots by mail. The order also provides for sanctions against states that do not meet the new requirements, including the possible loss of federal funds
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This movement occurs while the midterm primary elections are taking place in several states, and although it is not clear how it will directly affect these votes, the objective is for the system to be ready before June 30, the deadline for the creation of the “state citizenship list” that will allow the issuance of secure ballots by mail. Election day is scheduled for November 3
