A new PBS News/NPR/Marist poll released on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, found that 75% of voters trust their state or local governments to conduct fair and accurate elections. While local trust remains high, confidence in the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to deliver ballots on time has declined to 58%, a 13-point drop from 2024. These findings come as early voting begins in several states for the upcoming midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.
The polling follows a period of legal and executive action regarding election procedures. In August 2025, President Donald Trump pledged to end the use of mail-in ballots and voting machines. In March 2026, he signed an executive order directing the USPS to block ballot deliveries to voters not included on pre-approved state lists. That order was met with lawsuits from 23 Democratic-led states, and on September 14, 2026, the Supreme Court refused to allow the administration to implement the restrictions, citing a lack of time for officials to adjust before the midterms.
The survey of 1,280 registered voters shows a partisan divide regarding mail-in voting. Approximately 70% of Republicans and 75% of "MAGA" supporters believe there is a "great deal" or "good amount" of fraud associated with mail-in ballots, while only 18% of Democrats and 32% of independents share that view. Documented voter fraud is rare; the Heritage Foundation report lists roughly 1,500 cases over several decades out of hundreds of millions of votes cast.
Approximately 24% of voters plan to use mail-in ballots this year, a decrease from the 31% who used them in the 2024 presidential election. Fifty percent of the electorate now favors voting in person on Election Day.
The shift is most pronounced among Democrats, who are nearly three times as likely as Republicans to plan on voting by mail. In Washington, a report from Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Secretary of State Steve Hobbs found that 19 counties saw their ballot rejection rates more than double during recent primaries due to late postmarks.
With 4 in 10 voters across both parties now expressing low confidence in mail delivery, Tammy Patrick of the National Association of Election Officials is advising voters to request and return ballots early or use drop boxes. The Trump administration has also suggested potential prosecutions of officials regarding noncitizen voting, which is already illegal.
Early and mail voting is currently underway in a handful of states. The midterm elections will conclude in November 2026, where voters will decide which party takes control of the U.S. House and Senate. Election officials continue to prepare for audits and recounts using paper trails.