President Trump and first lady Melania Trump requested absentee ballots for Florida’s primary amid a partisan fight over mail-in voting.
The first couple requested the ballots on Wednesday, less than a week before the scheduled primary contest, according to the Palm Beach County elections website. This marks the second time that the Trumps have requested mail-in ballots after the president made his private club, the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, his permanent address last year.
They will be able to vote for seven elected positions, including their House district, which is held by Rep. Lois Frankel, a Democrat.
Trump and his allies have raised concerns about widespread mail-in voting, which is being considered around the country amid the coronavirus pandemic, as being ripe for voter fraud. But he has made a distinction with absentee voting, which requires a person to submit an application for a ballot.
White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere told CNN, “The president supports absentee voting, not universal mail-in voting, which contain several safeguards that prevent fraud and abuse.”
Trump is also facing heat for opposing emergency funding for the cash-strapped United States Postal Service, which is expected to play a large role in the November election.
Earlier this month, the president defended Florida’s capability to handle absentee voting.
“Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True,” Trump tweeted. “Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail!”
