Trump said US is only country that allows mail-in ballots. Here's the truth

While defending the so-called SAVE America Act in February 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed the United States is the only country in the world that allows mail-in voting. 

Should it become law, the SAVE America Act will require voters to show proof of their citizenship upon registration. Critics have argued it would infringe upon states' ability to administer elections as they choose and that it would restrict eligible voters from casting their ballots, in part by gutting registration by mail. The American Civil Liberties Union called the legislation "a dangerous assault on democracy."

Trump said the SAVE America Act is necessary to prevent "crooked elections" (he and his supporters blamed his loss in the 2020 presidential election on voter fraud, a claim Snopes has repeatedly debunked.)

The bill passed the House of Representatives on Feb. 11, 2026. It had not passed the Senate as of this writing, despite appearing to on Congress.gov, an online database of legislative information. (Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., initially introduced the bill in the Senate, though it addressed accessibility of Veterans Affairs for disabled veterans. The Senate voted on it, then the House rewrote it as the SAVE America Act and passed it — lawmakers sometimes use this loophole to get around procedural obstacles, such as deadlines. Both houses must pass the same version of the bill for it to become law.) 

On Feb. 12, Trump incorrectly told reporters the SAVE America Act would ban mail-in ballots, with a few exceptions (the bill would not ban mail-in ballots; it would ban voter registration by mail by requiring voters to register in person). He added that the U.S. is the only country in the world "that has mail-in ballots" (the full exchange begins at the 29:10 mark of the video below).

The full exchange was as follows (emphasis ours):

REPORTER: On the SAVE Act, Mr. President, voter ID polls very well nationally. Even the majority of Democrat voters want it. 

TRUMP: Right. 

REPORTER: So, why do you think Senate Democrats are resisting the SAVE Act? And what is your strategy and realistic pathway to getting the SAVE Act passed to ensure free and fair elections for the next generation? 

TRUMP: It's such a great question. I appreciate it actually because it's called the SAVE America Act. We've changed the name. It's the SAVE America Act and the Democrats are against it. I heard one of them say, "we will stop the SAVE America Act." No, we're trying to save America and it has to do with largely voting and basically it's got three very simple points. It's got voter ID, photo ID, but voter ID with a photo, right? It's got the confirmation of U.S. citizenship. You have to be a citizen. So, you have a vote, you have an ID. That's about a 99% one and I think 90% with Democrats. Then you have confirmation U.S. citizenship. That's about a 99% one with Republicans, about 86% with Democrats — except Democrat politicians because they cheat on elections. And then you have no mail-in ballots, and it would be no mail-in ballots. Very important. You know, we're the only country in the world that does a system like we do. We're the only country in the world that has mail-in ballots. The way we do this is unbelievable. It guarantees cheating. So, it's no mail-in ballots, with the exception of disability, illness, military or, if you're traveling, you can get an exemption. You know, if you happen to be out of the country for a good reason, you can have an exemption. So, with exceptions, it's no mail-in ballots, and that will assure the security of our crooked elections. 

In short, Trump's claim that the U.S. is the only country to allow mail-in ballots was false. As of this writing, a number of countries allow mail-in voting in some capacity. As outlined below, some countries allow in-country postal voting for all the electorate, while others make in-country postal voting possible for some voters. 

In August 2025, International IDEA — an intergovernmental organization dedicated to assisting governments in democratic and electoral reform — published a report saying 31 countries, in addition to the U.S., allow some form of in-country postal voting. Out of those, 11 nations, including Canada, Germany, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, allow all voters to choose mail-in voting. 

The same report said 21 countries allow in-country postal voting based on certain criteria. These include Australia, France, Ireland, Japan and Spain. For example, France makes in-country postal voting possible for some people in detention, while Japan, Ireland and Australia allow it for those with disabilities. Given its large size, Australia also allows this option for people who live more than eight kilometers (roughly 5 miles) from a polling place. 

Contrary to Trump's claim, the U.S. is not unique in allowing mail-in voting. Further, the SAVE America Act would not ban it in the United States.

For further reading, Snopes previously examined a meme listing countries that supposedly banned mail-in voting.