Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Voter fraud happens, but it is uncommon in the U.S. and has not been shown to affect national outcomes. Large post‑election reviews and audits have repeatedly found no evidence of widespread, outcome‑changing fraud, even while isolated cases do occur and are prosecuted.

What the evidence shows

•Studies of in‑person “voter impersonation” (the kind photo‑ID rules target) find it to be vanishingly rare—e.g., 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014. Broader reviews of elections studied for fraud show incident rates on the order of hundredths to thousandths of a percent.[1]

•Officials and audits in 2020 confirmed results rather than exposing systemic fraud—for example, the federal election‑security community called 2020 “the most secure in American history,” Georgia’s statewide hand‑audit reaffirmed the presidential result, and independent audits of Maricopa County’s equipment found it functioned properly.[2]

•A detailed Associated Press review found fewer than 475 potential fraud cases in the six battleground states disputed after the 2020 election—far too few to change outcomes.[3]

•Even targeted crackdowns rarely uncover large numbers: a 2026 federal initiative reported about 1,600 investigations and 160 arrests tied mostly to alleged non‑citizen voting—tiny against more than 200 million registered voters.[4]

Where fraud has appeared

•Localized schemes—often involving absentee ballots—have at times been serious enough to force new elections, such as North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018; Paterson, New Jersey’s 2020 city council race; and Bridgeport, Connecticut’s 2023 mayoral primary. These are notable but exceptional.[5]

Why it stays rare

•The U.S. runs elections locally with multiple safeguards: voter registration checks, signature or ID verification where applicable, ballot tracking, bipartisan observation, and post‑election audits—all of which make large‑scale fraud hard to execute and likely to be detected.[6]

Bottom line: Voter fraud exists but at very low rates; the bigger, recurring challenge is public confidence, not large‑scale cheating. If you’d like, tell me which state or kind of fraud you’re most concerned about (mail ballots, double voting, non‑citizen voting, etc.), and I can share the most relevant data and safeguards for that.

2.[19

We improved the security of systems, scanning](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-116shrg43071/pdf/CHRG-116shrg43071.pdf?utm_source=openai)

Citations (6)

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: “Broader reviews of elections studied for fraud show incident rates on the order of hundredths to thousandths of a percent.”
2govinfo.govGovernment
19 We improved the security of systems, scanning
Backs: “Officials and audits in 2020 confirmed results rather than exposing systemic fraud—for example, the federal election‑security community called 2020 “the most secure in American history,” Georgia’s statewide hand‑audit reaffirmed the presidential result, and independent audits of Maricopa County’s equipment found it…”
3pbs.orgNews and mediaquality 0.87
AP review finds far too little vote fraud to tip 2020 election to Trump | PBS News
Backs: “A detailed Associated Press review found fewer than 475 potential fraud cases in the six battleground states disputed after the 2020 election—far too few to change outcomes.”
4apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
Administration's focus on noncitizen voting has led to 160 arrests. Experts say that shows it's rare
Backs: “Even targeted crackdowns rarely uncover large numbers: a 2026 federal initiative reported about 1,600 investigations and 160 arrests tied mostly to alleged non‑citizen voting—tiny against more than 200 million registered voters.”
5ncsbe.govGovernment
State Board unanimously orders new election in 9th Congressional District | NCSBE
Backs: “Paterson, New Jersey’s 2020 city council race; and Bridgeport, Connecticut’s 2023 mayoral primary. These are notable but exceptional.”
6maricopa.govGovernment
Just the Facts
Backs: “The U.S. runs elections locally with multiple safeguards: voter registration checks, signature or ID verification where applicable, ballot tracking, bipartisan observation, and post‑election audits—all of which make large‑scale fraud hard to execute and likely to be detected.”