Jimmy Carter has publicly supported the use of mail‑in/absentee ballots while also acknowledging that they can be a potential source of fraud if not well safeguarded.

What Jimmy Carter Actually Said

  • In a 2005 election reform commission report he co-chaired with James A. Baker III, Carter warned that “absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud.”
  • That report did not say “don’t ever use” mail-in ballots or call for banning them; instead, it recommended stronger security measures and further study of mail voting.
  • As debates over 2020 mail-in voting intensified, Carter clarified: “I approve the use of absentee ballots and have been using them for more than five years.”
  • He also said that, with modern safeguards, voting by mail “can be conducted in a manner that ensures election integrity.”

Clarifying Misquotes and Political Spin

  • Donald Trump later claimed Carter said “don’t ever use” mail-in ballots because they are “so easily corrupted,” but fact-checkers found that this misrepresented Carter’s position.
  • The misquote came from selectively citing the 2005 warning about fraud risk while ignoring Carter’s clear, later support for secure mail voting.

The Nuanced View

Carter’s real stance is a both/and position:

  1. Mail/absentee ballots can be a vulnerable point for fraud without proper safeguards.
  1. With adequate protections in place, mail-in voting is legitimate, safe, and something he personally uses and endorses.

In practical terms, Carter is saying: “Be strict on security, but don’t be afraid of mail-in voting when it’s done right.”

TL;DR: Jimmy Carter warned years ago that absentee ballots are a major potential fraud risk, but he never said “never use” mail-in ballots; instead, he has repeatedly affirmed that secure mail voting works and that he personally approves and uses it.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.