There are less than two months until the 2026 midterm elections, meaning Nov. 3 will be here before we even realize it. For college students, that means finding time in between classes, work, and social events to cast your ballot is another thing to add to your to-do list â and an absolutely crucial one at that. Many campuses across the country provide polling places for students, but for some â especially out-of-state students â voting in person isnât the best option, or even an option at all. Enter: mail-in voting, which allows people across the country to fill out their ballot and pop it into the outgoing mailbox, ensuring their vote is counted no matter where they are.Â
While the act of mail-in voting is quick and easy in theory, itâs actually become even more confusing than before, considering each state has different laws about mail ballots. On top of that, with President Donald Trumpâs recent efforts to limit access to mail-in voting, executing your civic duty â especially if youâre a college student whoâs not registered at their campus address â can be super challenging.Â
In case you need a refresher, Trump partially blames his loss in the 2020 presidential election on mail-in voting, claiming that fraudulent mail ballots, changes made amid the Covid pandemic across a handful of states, and international interference are at fault for his loss (although investigations by cybersecurity agencies and others indicate the 2020 election results were free, fair, and secure). As such, Trump has spent part of his second term attempting to enact new mail-in voting restrictions for this yearâs midterms.Â
In August 2025, Trump announced on social media that he wants to ban mail-in voting in its entirety before this yearâs midterms, and has taken further steps to do so since then. Most recently, in March 2026, he signed Executive Order 14399, which required the U.S. Postal Service to keep a list of eligible voters and block ballots sent in by anyone not on that list. He claims that this voter verification plan will mitigate election fraud. But that’s not where this saga ends â not by a long shot.
With so many moving pieces, it can be hard to keep track of the latest regarding mail ballots. But donât let that stop you from ensuring you can cast your vote! Watch this space for the latest on mail ballot updates that college students need to know:Â
Sept. 14: SCOTUS Ruling
In an emergency Sept. 14 SCOTUS ruling, with a 7-2 majority, the Supreme Court justices rejected Trumpâs Executive Order 14399, maintaining mail-in ballots as a valid voting method for Novemberâs election.Â
President Trump took to Truth Social to share his frustration with the ruling. âRepublicans just got another bad decision from the United States Supreme Court, one that the Court System took forever to give, and then blamed it, in part, on no time left to implement a solution to our totally CORRUPT and out of control Mail-In voting âdisaster,â which is a laughing stock all over the World,â he wrote. âThese are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court, they are merely a shell of their original selves.âÂ
Since nearly one-third of the country votes by mail, many voting rights advocates count the SCOTUS ruling as a win for millions of Americans. âThis provides voters and elections officials with the certainty they need ahead of a major, federal election, and it sends a clear message to this country: Presidents donât run elections, the people do,â Oregonâs Secretary of State Tobias Read said in a press release on Sept. 15. NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke also praised the SCOTUS ruling, saying in a statement released by the NAACP, âMail voting is safe, secure, and deeply rooted in our nationâs history. The Courtâs decision preserves a critical pathway to the ballot box and reaffirms that our democracy works best when every eligible voter can participate.âÂ
Trump still wants to crack down on the way mail-in voting works in the country, but for this yearâs election, it looks like the process will remain the same as it’s been. But keep in mind: This is just the decision on the federal level â states still have their own regulations around mail ballots. Be sure to check your stateâs rules and deadlines regarding mail ballots, as well as all other important voter information to make sure youâre prepared well ahead of Election Day.