On July 31, 2026, Vermont Governor Phil Scott defended the state's mail-in voting system and the administration of elections, countering President Donald Trump's calls for nationalizing elections. During a discussion at the National Governors Association meeting in Oklahoma City, Scott referenced the 10th Amendment, emphasizing the importance of states' rights in election matters. He noted that mail-in ballots are popular among Republicans in Vermont and have led to increased voter participation and GOP representation in the state Legislature. Scott expressed hope that Democrats would also support state control over elections, stating that states were established before the federal government.
Scott's remarks come amid Trump's ongoing opposition to mail-in voting, which he has claimed is associated with fraud. Trump is advocating for the SAVE America Act, which aims to reform election administration but has faced challenges in Congress. The act includes proposals that would impose additional requirements on voters, although Trump has inaccurately claimed it would ban mail-in voting.
In a recent federal court ruling, a judge blocked an executive order from Trump that sought to create federal voter lists and regulate mail-in ballots, deeming it unconstitutional. Trump has appealed this decision to the Supreme Court. During the same panel, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein criticized Trump's rhetoric on mail-in voting, describing it as harmful to democracy. Both governors also discussed a lawsuit opposing the Trump administration's conditions on state emergency funds related to election reforms, emphasizing the need for a locally driven, state-managed approach to disaster response and immigration reform.