Short answer: Individual cases happen, but the best evidence shows voter fraud in the U.S. is very rare and has not affected recent national election outcomes.
•How common is it? Studies consistently find few cases. A 2014–2015 GAO review found “few instances of in‑person voter fraud,” and Loyola Law’s Justin Levitt identified just 31 credible impersonation cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.[1]
•2020 election: Federal, state, and private election-security officials called the November 3, 2020 vote “the most secure in American history,” and subsequent audits and recounts did not uncover significant fraud. An AP review in six disputed states found fewer than 475 potential cases—far below the margins of victory.[2]
•2024 election: State reviews and fact-checks likewise reported no evidence of widespread fraud. For example, Nevada’s secretary of state reported “no evidence of widespread voter fraud,” and Georgia identified only 20 noncitizens on an 8.2 million–person voter roll before the 2024 election.[3]
•Do proven cases exist? Yes—across decades and thousands of elections. The Heritage Foundation’s database lists roughly 1,600 proven cases through mid‑2025, but even Heritage describes it as a non‑exhaustive sampling; Brookings’ review of those data concludes the overall numbers are minuscule relative to total votes cast.[4]
•What’s more common than fraud? Administrative errors, data-matching mistakes, and voter confusion are routinely misreported as “fraud,” according to election officials and research syntheses.[5]
If you want, tell me your state and I can summarize what officials there have found and what safeguards (ID rules, audits, paper ballots, etc.) are in place.
1.[Elections: Issues Related to State Voter Identification Laws [Reissued on February 27, 2015] | U.S. GAO](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-14-634?utm_source=openai)
Backs: “A 2014–2015 GAO review found “few instances of in‑person voter fraud,” and Loyola Law’s Justin Levitt identified just 31 credible impersonation cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.”
Backs: “For example, Nevada’s secretary of state reported “no evidence of widespread voter fraud,” and Georgia identified only 20 noncitizens on an 8.2 million–person voter roll before the 2024 election.”
Backs: “Administrative errors, data-matching mistakes, and voter confusion are routinely misreported as “fraud,” according to election officials and research syntheses.”