Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Voter fraud happens, but it is rare and has not been shown to be widespread or to have altered recent national election outcomes in the U.S.

What the evidence shows

•In-person impersonation (the kind voter ID at the polls would stop) is vanishingly rare: a nationwide review found 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.[1]

•After the 2020 election, the Associated Press examined every potential fraud case in six closely contested states and found fewer than 475 in about 25.5 million ballots—far too few to change results.[2]

•The federal election-security community (state and local officials plus CISA and partners) said on November 12, 2020 that the election was the “most secure in American history.” Close states also had paper records enabling recounts and audits; for example, Georgia’s statewide hand audit confirmed the original result.[3]

•Multiple academic and legal reviews over the years put overall fraud rates between roughly 0.0003% and 0.0025%—tiny shares relative to total turnout.[4]

Documented exceptions exist, mostly small-scale and often involving mail ballots, and they’re typically caught and remedied:

•North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District (2018) was rerun after the state elections board found a coordinated absentee-ballot scheme.[5]

•In Paterson, New Jersey (2020), a municipal race saw charges and a court-ordered redo tied to mail-in ballot abuses.[6]

Even the conservative Heritage Foundation, which compiles proven cases, characterizes its database as a “sampling” rather than comprehensive; it documents hundreds of incidents over many decades—large in absolute number but tiny compared with billions of votes cast.[7]

Bottom line

•Voter fraud is not zero, and strong safeguards and enforcement matter. But the best available audits, investigations, and security assessments consistently find only isolated cases—not the kind of widespread fraud that would swing statewide or national results.[2]

If you want, tell me your state and I can summarize its recent audits, prosecutions, and safeguards.

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: “In-person impersonation (the kind voter ID at the polls would stop) is vanishingly rare: a nationwide review found 31 credible cases out of more than 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: “After the 2020 election, the Associated Press examined every potential fraud case in six closely contested states and found fewer than 475 in about 25.5 million ballots—far too few to change results.”
3house.govGovernment
Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees | CISA
Backs: “The federal election-security community (state and local officials plus CISA and partners) said on November 12, 2020 that the election was the “most secure in American history.” Close states also had paper records enabling recounts and audits; for example, Georgia’s statewide hand audit confirmed the original result.”
4brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “Multiple academic and legal reviews over the years put overall fraud rates between roughly 0.0003% and 0.0025%—tiny shares relative to total turnout.”
5ncsbe.govGovernment
State Board unanimously orders new election in 9th Congressional District | NCSBE
Backs: “North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District (2018) was rerun after the state elections board found a coordinated absentee-ballot scheme.”
6njoag.govGovernment
AG Platkin: Voter Charged with Fraud, Records Tampering Stemming from Mail-in Ballots Cast in May 2020 Paterson City Election, and Providing Misleading Statements to Detectives - New Jersey Office of Attorney General
Backs: “In Paterson, New Jersey (2020), a municipal race saw charges and a court-ordered redo tied to mail-in ballot abuses.”
7heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Heritage Database | Election Fraud Map: About the Election Fraud Map | The Heritage Foundation
Backs: “Even the conservative Heritage Foundation, which compiles proven cases, characterizes its database as a “sampling” rather than comprehensive; it documents hundreds of incidents over many decades—large in absolute number but tiny compared with billions of votes cast.”