Trump voted by mail, but calls it cheating. SCOTUS ruling could limit it

• President Donald Trump voted by mail in a Florida special election despite his frequent criticism of the practice.
• Trump has previously called mail-in voting "corrupt" and claimed it leads to widespread cheating.
• The Supreme Court is considering a case that could limit mail-in ballot grace periods, a move supported by Trump.

President Donald Trump, who has frequently railed against voting by mail, submitted his ballot by mail for a Florida special election.

The Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections voter records show Trump's status in the March 24 state representative election in his district as "you voted by Mail Ballot." The ballot was received for processing on March 15, records show, the day after early voting began. Trump was staying at Mar-a-Lago for the weekend.

Trump said in August his party would do everything in its power to get rid of mail-in voting, calling mail-in ballots "corrupt."

"You know, brought to my attention today that we're the only country that does mail-in voting. Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating. I call it ‘mail-in cheating,' and we got to do something about it all," Trump said in Memphis on March 23.

Dozens of countries also used postal ballots even before the COVID-19 pandemic, when they became more popular, according to Pew Research.

What election did Trump vote in by mail?

In response to a question about why Trump used mail-in voting for this election, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said exceptions should be made for mail-in voting for illness, disability, military or travel.

"As everyone knows, the President is a resident of Palm Beach and participates in Florida elections, but he obviously primarily lives at the White House in Washington, D.C., " Wales said in a statement. "This is a non-story.”

Trump voted in a Florida election for his local state representative. The election covers part of Palm Beach County to replace Rep. Mike Caruso, who became Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller for Palm Beach County.

Trump has endorsed Republican Jon Maples, who is running against Democrat Emily Gregory for the seat.

"TO ALL GREAT PATRIOTS IN FLORIDA STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 87: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR JON MAPLES!" Trump said in a March 23 social media post.

Supreme Court could side with Trump to limit mail-in grace periods

The U.S. Supreme Court on March 23 heard oral arguments for Watson v. Republican National Committee, a case challenging a Mississippi law that allows ballots to be counted up to five days after Election Day so long as they are sent on time. The RNC says the lawsuit aims to have all ballots received by Election Day to reduce confusion. The Justice Department is backing the RNC's push to overturn the law.

Trump has previously tried to end grace periods and mail-in voting altogether through executive order and by pushing Congress to pass legislation. The conservative-leaning court seemed poised to side with Republicans, which could lead to stricter voting guidelines around the country.

Mississippi argued that Election Day was defined by when the voters chose a candidate. Nearly 30 states accept some ballots that arrive late but are postmarked by Election Day. Democrats are usually more likely to use mail-in ballots.

"And we as a Republican Party are going to do everything possible that we get rid of mail-in ballots," Trump said in the Oval Office in August. "We're the only country in the world — I believe I may be wrong — but just about the only country in the world that uses them. And because of what's happened, massive fraud all over the place."

(This story was updated with new information.) 

Contributing: Terry Moseley, Maureen Groppe, C.A. Bridges, USA TODAY

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.