Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro Rejects Trump's Plan to Ban Mail Ballots

Strategic Insights -

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stood firm on Tuesday, stating that any executive order from President Donald Trump to ban mail ballots would have no impact on the state's elections. This comes after Trump announced plans to issue an executive order to "end mail in ballots because they're corrupt," despite having no power to unilaterally end mail-in voting. Shapiro emphasized that the state will continue to have free and fair, safe and secure elections, with voters able to choose between in-person voting and mail voting.

Key Takeaways:

  • Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated that any executive order from President Trump to ban mail ballots would have no impact on the state's elections.
  • Trump's plan to ban mail ballots is unconstitutional, as states have the power to set rules for elections and the U.S. Congress can only alter those rules.
  • Mail voting was enacted in Pennsylvania in 2019 and saw significant usage during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The use of mail voting by Republicans in 2020 contributed to Trump's Pennsylvania win, but Trump's latest attacks on mail voting may harm Republican efforts in the 2026 election.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice has sought unredacted voter registration records from more than a dozen states, including Pennsylvania, which Trump previewed his potential executive order on mail voting as part of.
  • Shapiro called Trump's actions "cynical and wrong" and accused him of trying to "stoke more division and fear" among voters.

Statistics:

  • 2020: More than 2.5 million mail ballots were cast in Pennsylvania, out of a total of 6.9 million votes cast.
  • 2020: Trump lost Pennsylvania by a margin of 1.2 percentage points.
  • 2020: 85% of mail voters in Pennsylvania were Democrats, according to the state's elections office.
  • 2019: Pennsylvania lawmakers enacted mail voting, allowing voters to cast ballots by mail for the first time.

Sources:

  • Shapiro, Josh. "Statement on President Trump's Plan to Ban Mail Ballots." Governor's Office, 2023.
  • "Trump Talks of Ending Mail-in Ballots, which He Falsely Claims are Corrupt." Inquirer, 2023.
  • "Mail Voting Usage Jumps in Pa. Amid Pandemic." Politics Pa, 2020.
  • McGoldrick, Gillian. "Shapiro, in Philly, Reiterates State's Vote-by-Mail System is Safe." Inquirer, 2020.