Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: It happens, but confirmed voter fraud in the U.S. is rare and not a systemic problem. Large reviews and academic work find isolated cases that rarely approach numbers that could change statewide or national outcomes.[1]

What the evidence shows

•Scale: An Associated Press review of the 2020 election in six battleground states found fewer than 475 potential cases out of more than 25 million ballots—far too few to affect results.[1]

•Type of fraud: In‑person voter impersonation—the kind voter‑ID laws target—has been documented at vanishingly low rates; one comprehensive review found 31 credible incidents out of more than 1 billion ballots (2000–2014).[2]

•Expert consensus: Noncitizen voting and other forms of illegal voting are also found to be exceptionally rare in legitimate studies.[3]

•Yes, it exists: A conservative-leaning tracker (Heritage Foundation) maintains a database of prosecuted cases across decades—useful for seeing that cases do occur, but even this compilation does not show widespread or outcome-altering fraud.[4]

Safeguards and verification

•U.S. elections use multiple layers of protection—identity and eligibility checks, signature or ID verification where required, bipartisan poll workers and observers, paper ballots in most places, and post‑election audits. Risk‑limiting audits are increasingly used to statistically confirm winners.[5]

•Federal and state election‑security officials have repeatedly affirmed the integrity of recent elections when these safeguards are in place.[6]

Bottom line: Voter fraud is a real but infrequent crime. It is investigated and prosecuted when found, but the best available evidence indicates it has not been a widespread problem in modern U.S. elections. If you’d like, I can pull details about safeguards or recent cases in your state.

Citations (6)

1pbs.orgNews and mediaquality 0.87
AP review finds far too little vote fraud to tip 2020 election to Trump | PBS News
Backs: “Large reviews and academic work find isolated cases that rarely approach numbers that could change statewide or national outcomes.”
2washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
A comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast - The Washington Post
Backs: “In‑person voter impersonation—the kind voter‑ID laws target—has been documented at vanishingly low rates; one comprehensive review found 31 credible incidents out of more than 1 billion ballots (2000–2014).”
3brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
The Myth of Voter Fraud | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “Noncitizen voting and other forms of illegal voting are also found to be exceptionally rare in legitimate studies.”
4heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Heritage Database | Election Fraud Map: About the Election Fraud Map | The Heritage Foundation
Backs: “A conservative-leaning tracker (Heritage Foundation) maintains a database of prosecuted cases across decades—useful for seeing that cases do occur, but even this compilation does not show widespread or outcome-altering fraud.”
5mit.eduAcademic
Post-election audits | MIT Election Lab
Backs: “Risk‑limiting audits are increasingly used to statistically confirm winners.”
6house.govGovernment
Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees | CISA
Backs: “Federal and state election‑security officials have repeatedly affirmed the integrity of recent elections when these safeguards are in place.”