Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Leans no

Short answer: It happens, but at very low rates, and it rarely affects outcomes—especially in statewide or national races.

What the research and investigations show

•Individual “voter fraud” (for example, someone impersonating another voter) is extremely rare. A well‑known study by election-law scholar Justin Levitt identified 31 credible cases of in‑person voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.[1]

•Reviews of recent elections consistently find only tiny numbers of potential illegal votes. An Associated Press review of the six 2020 battleground states found fewer than 475 potential cases—far too few to change results.[2]

•Analyses of mail voting likewise find vanishingly small problem rates; for example, a Washington Post review of three vote‑by‑mail states found about 372 possible double/deceased‑voter cases out of roughly 14.6 million ballots in 2016 and 2018 (around 0.0025%).[3]

Documented cases do exist—and are prosecuted

•A few local races have been tainted by absentee‑ballot schemes, leading officials to order new elections (e.g., North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018).[4]

•New Jersey courts also reran a 2020 Paterson city council race after widespread mail‑ballot irregularities; state prosecutors later brought related charges.[5]

•A database maintained by the Heritage Foundation catalogs more than 1,500 adjudicated election‑fraud cases over many years nationwide; notable but tiny relative to the hundreds of millions of votes cast.[6]

Bottom line

•U.S. election officials and security agencies reported the 2020 election was the “most secure in American history,” and multiple audits and reviews have found no evidence of widespread fraud changing national outcomes.[7]

If you’d like, I can summarize the most common safeguards (signature checks, voter‑roll maintenance, post‑election audits, etc.) and where experts see room for improvement.

6.[Endnotes

1.The Heritage Foundation Election Frau](https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/IB5362.pdf?utm_source=openai)

Citations (7)

1washingtonpost.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: “A well‑known study by election-law scholar Justin Levitt identified 31 credible cases of in‑person voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Levitt identified 31 credible cases of in-person voter impersonation out of over 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.
2pbs.orgNews and mediaquality 0.87
AP review finds far too little vote fraud to tip 2020 election to Trump | PBS News
Backs: “An Associated Press review of the six 2020 battleground states found fewer than 475 potential cases—far too few to change results.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: AP review of six 2020 battleground states found fewer than 475 potential fraud cases, too few to change results.
3washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
The truth about election fraud: It’s rare - The Washington Post
Backs: “Analyses of mail voting likewise find vanishingly small problem rates; for example, a Washington Post review of three vote‑by‑mail states found about 372 possible double/deceased‑voter cases out of roughly 14.6 million ballots in 2016 and 2018 (around 0.0025%).”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Washington Post review of three vote-by-mail states found about 372 possible double/deceased-voter cases among roughly 14.6 million ballots.
4ncsbe.govGovernment
State Board unanimously orders new election in 9th Congressional District | NCSBE
Backs: “A few local races have been tainted by absentee‑ballot schemes, leading officials to order new elections (e.g., North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018).”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: Absentee-ballot schemes tainted North Carolina's 9th District race in 2018, leading officials to order a new election.
5wral.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
Judge invalidates Paterson, NJ, city council election after allegations of mail-in voter fraud :: WRAL.com
Backs: “New Jersey courts also reran a 2020 Paterson city council race after widespread mail‑ballot irregularities; state prosecutors later brought related charges.”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: New Jersey courts reran a 2020 Paterson city council race after widespread mail-ballot irregularities.
6heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Endnotes 1. The Heritage Foundation Election Frau
Backs: “A database maintained by the Heritage Foundation catalogs more than 1,500 adjudicated election‑fraud cases over many years nationwide; notable but tiny relative to the hundreds of millions of votes cast.”
statistic, official document, neutral. Claim: Heritage Foundation database catalogs more than 1,500 adjudicated election-fraud cases, small relative to hundreds of millions of votes.
7squarespace.comCompanies
Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and Sector Coordinating Council Executive Committees — NASED
Backs: “U.S. election officials and security agencies reported the 2020 election was the “most secure in American history,” and multiple audits and reviews have found no evidence of widespread fraud changing national outcomes.”
attribution, official document, points to no. Claim: Election officials and security agencies called the 2020 election the most secure in American history.