In February, former President Donald Trump strongly condemned absentee voting, telling supporters at a Waterford Township rally that it was “totally corrupt” and should be eliminated to ensure “secure elections.”
However, by the time Trump addressed a rally at Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena months later, his stance had shifted. In a video message, he expressed support for absentee voting, alongside early and Election Day voting, as viable methods for casting ballots.
Trump’s contradictory messages have continued. While he urges supporters to vote by any available method, he also recently told a crowd in Pennsylvania that “we want to get rid of mail-in voting.”
This evolving rhetoric mirrors the Republican Party’s complicated position. The GOP is actively promoting absentee voting while simultaneously suing Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over her guidance on ballot procedures for local clerks.
The party faces a difficult balancing act, as Republican voters remain skeptical of mail-in voting—a sentiment deeply rooted in Trump’s repeated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election.
“We will be out, actively encouraging people to go vote early,” Michigan Republican Party Chair Pete Hoekstra told Bridge Michigan. “Voters will make up their own minds on which process they’re going to use … We want them to know their voting options and to bank their vote as soon as possible.”
Local clerks are scheduled to begin mailing absentee ballots this Thursday. Some analysts warn that Trump’s ongoing criticism of absentee voting could hurt his campaign, especially in what is expected to be a tightly contested election.
“It poses a huge challenge for his campaign,” said David Becker, founder of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation & Research. Becker noted that while the campaign and the Republican National Committee are encouraging early voting, Trump’s continued attacks on mail-in ballots might sway some supporters to reject those methods.
A Missed Opportunity?
In the 2020 election, Joe Biden secured Michigan by 154,000 votes, with absentee ballots playing a significant role—3.3 million of the 5.5 million total votes were cast absentee, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Historically, higher voter turnout is believed to benefit Democrats. This year, Michigan offers even more voting options, including the ability to receive absentee ballots for all elections and early in-person voting sites open nine days before Election Day.
Democrats have capitalized on these expanded voting options. In the 2022 midterms, Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer outperformed her GOP rival in absentee voting, even in traditionally conservative areas like Monroe County.
