Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Voter fraud happens, but it’s rare and not shown to affect U.S. election outcomes at scale.

What the best evidence shows

•Multiple reviews and academic summaries find in‑person voter impersonation and other individual fraud to be exceedingly uncommon.[1]

•After 2020, the Associated Press examined every potential case in six disputed battleground states and found fewer than 475 — far too few to change results.[2]

•Federal and state election‑security officials said the 2020 election was the most secure in American history, and no evidence showed voting systems changed or deleted votes; state audits and recounts (for example, Georgia’s statewide hand tally) confirmed outcomes.[3]

Real, but usually isolated, cases

•When fraud does occur it’s typically localized (often involving absentee ballots or eligibility issues) and is prosecuted — sometimes forcing a new election. Examples include the 2018 U.S. House race in North Carolina’s 9th District and a 2020 Paterson, NJ city council race.[4]

Scale, put in perspective

•Even sources that actively track fraud show small numbers over decades. The Heritage Foundation’s database reports roughly 1,500–1,600 proven cases spanning many years. A 2020 analysis by Oregon’s Legislative Fiscal Office (citing Heritage data) calculated about 1,285 cases out of more than 1.8 billion ballots from 1982–2018 — roughly 0.00007%.[5]

Safeguards

•All 50 states now conduct post‑election audits, and many use risk‑limiting audits — measures designed to detect and correct problems and to deter fraud.[6]

Bottom line: The U.S. sees occasional, prosecuted instances of voter fraud, but credible research, audits, and investigations consistently show it is rare and has not undermined national election outcomes.[1]

Citations (6)

1brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “Multiple reviews and academic summaries find in‑person voter impersonation and other individual fraud to be exceedingly uncommon.”
2pbs.orgNews and mediaquality 0.87
AP review finds far too little vote fraud to tip 2020 election to Trump | PBS News
Backs: “After 2020, the Associated Press examined every potential case in six disputed battleground states and found fewer than 475 — 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: “Federal and state election‑security officials said the 2020 election was the most secure in American history, and no evidence showed voting systems changed or deleted votes; state audits and recounts (for example, Georgia’s statewide hand tally) confirmed outcomes.”
4ncsbe.govGovernment
I. INTRODUCTION
Backs: “House race in North Carolina’s 9th District and a 2020 Paterson, NJ city council race.”
5heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Heritage Releases Updated Election Fraud Database, Featuring New Fraud Map | The Heritage Foundation
Backs: “A 2020 analysis by Oregon’s Legislative Fiscal Office (citing Heritage data) calculated about 1,285 cases out of more than 1.8 billion ballots from 1982–2018 — roughly 0.00007%.”
6ncsl.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Every State Has Now Enacted a Post-Election Audit Law -...
Backs: “All 50 states now conduct post‑election audits, and many use risk‑limiting audits — measures designed to detect and correct problems and to deter fraud.”