In this “Thought of the Day,” Nate Charles examines Donald Trump’s announcement that he will issue an executive order banning mail-in ballots and electronic voting machines. Drawing on the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Nate explains why the President has no authority to alter the time, place, or manner of elections—powers reserved to the states and Congress.
The conversation explores:
* The absence of credible evidence that mail-in or machine voting has ever altered a national election outcome.
* Localized fraud cases and why they don’t scale to federal races.
* Congress’s historical role in amending state election procedures under the Elections Clause.
* Competing theories about Trump’s motivation: voter suppression, political ignorance, or preemptive delegitimization of democracy.
* Richard Hasen’s warning that Trump may be “laying tinder” for another crisis of legitimacy after 2026.
Nate closes with an invitation to readers: share evidence, counterarguments, and data points in the comments to keep this a serious, informed discussion.
By Nathan M. F. Charles — Former federal prosecutor and national security official; Managing Partner, Charles International Law. I litigate constitutional, immigration, and administrative law cases nationwide, including before federal courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals.
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