US President Donald Trump announced via social media on Monday his intention to issue an executive order that would phase out both mail-in voting and the use of electronic voting machines across the United States. In his post, Trump advocated for a return to paper ballots and manual hand counting, a move that has sparked widespread debate and concern about its feasibility and constitutionality.

Trump's declaration raised eyebrows due to his claim that states act merely as "agents" of the Federal Government in election processes, suggesting that they should comply with directives from the presidency on how votes are counted and tabulated. This perspective starkly contrasts with the traditional understanding of the election oversight roles typically played by state and federal bodies.

Legal experts quickly highlighted the constitutional challenges to Trump’s proposal. The U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause explicitly assigns the power to regulate federal elections to state legislatures, with only Congress having the authority to alter or amend those regulations, not the president. Jeremy Paul, a law professor at Northeastern University, emphasized that Trump’s ability to end mail-in voting via an executive order is not supported legally, as such significant electoral changes must be enacted by Congress.

Despite ongoing claims by some political figures that mail-in voting is riddled with fraud, extensive research, including a study by the Brennan Center for Justice, shows that voter fraud is exceedingly rare in the United States, occurring at rates between 0.0003% and 0.0025%. Election officials from various states, including Pennsylvania, have reiterated that incidents of mail ballot fraud are exceptionally isolated and have never influenced the final results of an election.

The push to eliminate voting machines in favor of paper ballots counted by hand also poses practical challenges. Election administrators warn that manual counts are substantially more time-consuming and susceptible to human error. Studies cited by the Brennan Center for Justice indicate that human counters can misinterpret up to 25% of ballots during initial counts, leading to concerns about the accuracy and efficiency of hand counting on a large scale.

In recent years, some states, like Pennsylvania, have moved to expand access to mail-in voting, reflecting a broader national trend towards increasing electoral accessibility and participation. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld such expansions in 2022, affirming the state's authority to facilitate mail-in voting without constitutional limitations.

As Trump’s proposed executive order begins to take shape, it is expected to encounter significant legal challenges from states and various organizations advocating for broader voting rights and protections. The debate continues regarding the balance between state and federal powers in administering elections, the efficiency of different voting methods, and the ongoing commitment to ensuring secure and accessible voting for all citizens.