Despite his multiple claims about mail-in voting being rife with fraud, Trump admitted that he voted by mail, defending it because “he was allowed to.”
In 2019, Trump updated his voter registration to Florida while listing the White House as his out-of-state address. This is prohibited in Florida, which by law requires that voters be legal residents. Trump re-registered, listing his Mar-a-Lago address instead. Trump used this new registration to vote in Florida’s Republican primary.
However, when Mar-a-Lago was converted from a single-family residence to a private club in 1993, the agreement with the local government prohibited it from bring used or taxed as a residence. Per the stipulations, any visitor was restricted to staying a maximum of 21 days per year, though Trump has repeatedly violated that provision, as well.
Though likely done in error, as are most mail-in voting discrepancies, exactly such an example is cited by the White House as an example of felony voter fraud.
Vice President Mike Pence also voted by mail using his old Indiana address in the state’s primary election. Because he made no attempt to register in Washington DC, and his Indiana home is a legal residence, there were no questions regarding the legality of his vote. However, his use of a mail-in ballot still undercut the administration’s claims regarding its unreliability. Additionally, Trump’s press secretary Kayleigh McEnany regularly voted by mail, but still railed against attempts to expand mail-in voting “for no reason.”
In another instance, when voting in the 2017 New York City mayoral election, Trump penned the wrong birth date for his ballot.
Trump long alleged widespread voter fraud ever since losing the 2016 popular vote. A commission was also created to investigate, though no such fraud was found. Even amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump sought to curb expansion of mail-in voting measures.
Vanity Fair – Trump: Mail-In Voting Is “Horrible” Except When I Do It
Washington Post – Trump Tried to Register in Florida using Out-of-State Address
The Palm Beach Post – Letters: Trump may have committed voter fraud
Slate – Donald Trump Appears to Have Committed Felony Voter Fraud
Sun Sentinel – Mar-a-Lago is taxed as a private club, not a residence. So can President Trump vote as a Florida man?
Law & Crime – Trump Votes in Florida Despite Mar-A-Lago’s Alleged Legal Status as a ‘Private Club,’ Not a Residence
Snopes – Has President Trump Ever Voted by Mail?
The New York Daily News – Why Melania, Ivanka and Jared’s mayoral election votes didn’t count
Business Insider – Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, voted by mail in April from a mansion they haven’t lived in for 4 years
CNBC – Trump press secretary defends her own mail-in votes after attacking expanded absentee ballot access
