Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s plan to ban mail-in ballots would have no impact on elections in the state, calling the move unconstitutional and unenforceable.
The remarks came a day after Trump announced during an event with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that his attorneys were preparing an executive order to “end mail-in ballots because they’re corrupt.” Shapiro dismissed the threat, stressing that state law governs how Pennsylvanians cast their ballots.
“Donald Trump can sign whatever executive order he wants. It will have absolutely no bearing on our elections here in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said at a news conference. He added that voters would continue to have the option to vote by mail or in person.
Election law experts note that states control voting procedures under the Constitution, and Congress — not the president — holds authority to make changes. Any executive order attempting to end mail voting would almost certainly face immediate legal challenges.
Mail-in voting has been legal in Pennsylvania since 2019 and expanded dramatically during the 2020 election amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump narrowly lost the state that year after repeatedly urging his supporters to avoid voting by mail, while Democrats embraced the option in large numbers.
By 2024, Republican voters had adopted mail voting in greater numbers, helping Trump carry Pennsylvania. GOP organizers hoped to continue that momentum into next year’s midterms, but Trump’s renewed attacks risk discouraging his own base.
Shapiro accused Trump of spreading misinformation to undermine trust in elections, warning that the rhetoric could create unnecessary fear and division.
“There will once again be free and fair, safe and secure elections led by Republican and Democratic clerks of elections in each of our 67 counties,” the governor said.
Despite Trump’s claims, there is no evidence of widespread fraud tied to mail ballots.
Source: Phila. Inquirer