Trump urges supporters to vote by mail despite fraud claims

President Donald Trump urged his supporters on Saturday and Monday to vote by mail, marking a shift from his years-long stance that mail-in voting is riddled with fraud. Addressing reporters at the White House before heading to a rally in Nebraska, Trump stated that his supporters can vote by mail in the upcoming congressional midterm elections on November 3rd, even though he personally prefers in-person voting.

He clarified that both mail-in and in-person voting are options, depending on individual preferences. The comments followed a campaign video Trump posted over the weekend, encouraging Republicans to vote early, by mail, or in-person on Election Day. It is unclear why Trump altered his position. The president has frequently asserted baseless claims that his 2020 election loss was due to voter fraud, including regarding mail-in ballots.

The Trump administration attempted to impose stricter rules on mail-in voting ahead of the midterms, but the Supreme Court refused to allow the Postal Service to enforce the new rules in September. Some Republicans have previously expressed concerns that discouraging mail-in voting could diminish turnout among conservative rural voters, a significant portion of Trump's base.

Republicans are facing a challenging political landscape in the final weeks of the campaign. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted on Monday showed Trump's approval rating at 32%, unchanged from September's record low, while registered voters favored Democrats over Republicans by a margin of 44% to 37%. Among independents, Democrats led 37% to 21%, with 28% undecided.