'I voted for a guy named Trump': President wears mask as casts ballot in Florida ahead of battleground state rallies

President condemns mail-in voting as he casts ballot at Palm Beach County main library

President Donald Trump has cast his ballot early in the battleground state of Florida in an effort to encourage his supporters to vote in person for the upcoming election. 

The president arrived at the Palm Beach County main library in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday morning wearing a mask. 

Previously, Mr Trump voted in both the 2018 election and 2020 primary election via absentee ballot. In 2016, he voted on the day of the election at a public school in Manhattan, New York, with First Lady Melania Trump. 

But now he has decided to vote early in Florida for this election cycle as a way to convince his supporters that they, too, should head to polling places instead of mailing in their ballots. 

Mr Trump made clear his displeasure with mail-in voting on Saturday after he cast his ballot. 

“It was a very secure vote, much more secure than when you can send in a ballot, I can tell you that,” Mr Trump said. “It’s an honour to be voting, an honour to be in this great area.” 

Asked by a reporter which way he had voted, he said: “I voted for a guy named Trump." 

It was not clear if Mrs Trump would be voting in person or mailing in her ballot. She has been relatively absent from the campaign trail in recent weeks besides attending the third and final presidential debate in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday. 

During a campaign rally on Friday evening, Mr Trump encouraged his voters to head to the polls instead of mailing in their ballots, as he made similar claims that mail-in voting would lead to fraud. 

"I am going to rely on you to get out and vote," the president said during the rally. "Vote early, bring your friends, your family, your neighbour, your co-workers, even bring your boss and say, 'Come out, boss, you're coming to vote. You've got to vote.' The most important election we've had. I really believe that."

Despite the president’s encouragement to vote in person, many voters are choosing the route to vote by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic. A record 38 million Americans have thus far mailed their ballots. In total, 56 million people have voted in the election to date, according to the US Elections Project. 

Mr Trump has a busy schedule this weekend with just 10 days before Election Day. 

The president will now head to three more battleground states on Saturday for campaign rallies. His first stop will be Lumberton, North Carolina, before he makes an afternoon stop in Circleville, Ohio. The busy day will then end for the president in Waukesha, Wisconsin.