President Donald Trump has intensified his campaign against mail-in voting, vowing this week to ban absentee ballots and voting machines through an executive order he says will “bring honesty” to the 2026 midterm elections. The U.S. Constitution gives states—and, to a limited extent, Congress—authority over election procedures, and legal scholars told Reuters the president has no unilateral power to outlaw voting methods that states have adopted. State election officials quickly pushed back. Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said his office "will stand up against any attempts to silence the voices of our citizens," noting that 45% of Nevadans voted by mail in 2024. Colorado’s top election official, Jena Griswold, called mail ballots "secure," and Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs defended her state’s long-standing mail voting system. Nationally, about three in ten ballots were cast through the mail in 2024, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Public opinion data underscore the resistance Trump may face: a CNN/SSRS survey cited by analyst Harry Enten found 60% of Americans support no-excuse absentee or early voting, 63% believe the 2020 election was legitimate, and 75% say mail ballots were counted correctly in 2024. Separately, Hobbs filed a statement of interest to seek a second term in 2026. The Democrat is expected to face Republican attorney Karrin Taylor Robson and Representative Andy Biggs, both of whom have entered the race. Hobbs linked her re-election bid to protecting Arizona’s vote-by-mail program, positioning the controversy as a central issue in the campaign.