Is voter fraud a problem in the US?
I'll search for current data and expert analysis on this topic to give you a well-sourced answer.# Voter Fraud in the US: What the Evidence Shows
According to extensive, nonpartisan research spanning decades, voter fraud is extremely rare in the United States—though it does occur in isolated instances and is not literally zero.
The Scale of the Problem
Multiple independent studies across the political spectrum arrive at the same conclusion. Electoral fraud is very rare in the United States. A frequently cited Brennan Center analysis found that incident rates between 0.0003 percent and 0.0025 percent for cases that were meticulously studied, concluding an American "will be struck by lightning than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls."
Specific findings include:
By Category
Mail-in voting: Research published by the Brookings Institute found that cases of mail-in voting fraud account for merely 0.000043% of all ballots cast by mail, equivalent to roughly four out of every 10 million. Studies also found "no evidence that voting by mail increases the risk of voter fraud overall."
Noncitizen voting: This is illegal voting by noncitizens when they vote in elections they are not eligible to, such as federal elections, and it is extremely rare. One analysis found the Heritage database contained just 68 cases of proven noncitizen voting dating back to 2000, amounting to less than 0.0001% of total votes.
State-level examples: In Pennsylvania, the Heritage Foundation analyzed 30 years of data across 32 elections, identifying just 39 cases of voter fraud—0.000039 percent of the more than 100 million ballots cast. In Arizona, around 42.6 million votes were cast with only 36 cases of fraud in total.
Why It's So Rare
Experts point to strong deterrents: it's a criminal offense to commit ballot fraud, and most people don't want to go to jail, which is a sufficient deterrent for almost everybody, according to Brookings fellow Darrell West. Additionally, widespread voter fraud is unlikely due to the decentralized nature of American elections.
The 2020 Election Specifically
Despite extensive legal challenges, an Associated Press count of voter fraud cases in six battleground states disputed by Trump found fewer than 475 votes in all six states combined—less than two-tenths of one percent of Biden's margin of victory, and most of those were not even counted. Courts across the political spectrum, including judges appointed by Trump, reached the conclusion there was not widespread ballot fraud.
Bottom Line
The scientific and legal consensus—from academic researchers, courts, election officials, and even conservative-leaning databases—is that documented voter fraud is real but statistically negligible, occurring at rates far too low to affect election outcomes. It remains a politically contentious issue, however, with public perception sometimes diverging sharply from the research findings, and ongoing debates about voter ID laws, mail-in voting, and registration verification continue to be shaped by competing interpretations of this data.
Citations (16)
- Electoral fraud in the United States
Source excerpt: “# Electoral fraud in the United States Electoral fraud is very rare in the United States. ”
- Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth
Source excerpt: “The report reviewed elections that had been meticulously studied for voter fraud, and found incident rates between 0.0003 percent and 0.0025 percent....”
- Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth
Source excerpt: “Given this tiny incident rate for voter impersonation fraud, it is more likely, the report noted, that an American “will be struck by lightning than...”
- Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth
Source excerpt: “- A comprehensive 2014 study published in *The Washington Post* found 31 credible instances of impersonation fraud from 2000 to 2014, out of more than...”
- Study Finds No Evidence of Widespread Voter Fraud
Source excerpt: “A study of 2,068 alleged election-fraud cases in 50 states between 2000 and 2012 found the level of fraud was infinitesimal compared with the 146 mill...”
- Voter Fraud in US Elections? What the Data and Research Shows - Newsweek
Source excerpt: “Heritage laid out cases in every state, creating the "Election Fraud Database," which found 1,561 instances of voter fraud that resulted in 1,325 conv...”
- The Facts About Mail-In Voting Fraud
Source excerpt: “But Research Indicates Fraud Is Very, Very Rare ## Documented cases of mail voting fraud are extremely uncommon Research published by the Brookings In...”
- The Facts About Mail-In Voting Fraud
Source excerpt: “Comparing the number of voter fraud cases in states where a large portion of voters receive ballots by mail to that in other states, the study found “...”
- Electoral fraud in the United States
Source excerpt: “### Noncitizen voting Illegal voting by noncitizens occurs when noncitizens vote in elections they are not eligible to, such as federal elections. It ...”
- Unpacking Myths About Noncitizen Voting — How Heritage Foundation’s Own Data Still Proves It’s Not the Problem It’s Made Out to Be - American Immigration Council
Source excerpt: “First, in 2024, the American Immigration Council analyzed this database and found that it contained just 68 cases of proven noncitizen voting dating b...”
- Election fraud rare in US elections, despite persistent claims otherwise
Source excerpt: “In Pennsylvania, for example, the Heritage Foundation analyzed 30 years of data, across which 32 elections were held. Just 39 cases of voter fraud wer...”
- Voter Fraud in US Elections? What the Data and Research Shows - Newsweek
Source excerpt: “In the case of Arizona—one of the states most closely watched following the 2020 election—that meant around 42.6 million votes cast with only 36 cases...”
- Voter Fraud in US Elections? What the Data and Research Shows - Newsweek
Source excerpt: “"It's a criminal offense to commit ballot fraud, and most people don't want to go to jail. So that's a sufficient deterrent for almost everybody," Dar...”
- Election fraud rare in US elections, despite persistent claims otherwise
Source excerpt: “Any widespread voter fraud is unlikely due to the decentralized nature of American elections. ”
- How common is voter fraud?
Source excerpt: “A count by the Associated Press of voter fraud cases in the six battleground states in 2020 that were disputed by Donald Trump found fewer than 475 vo...”
- Voter Fraud in US Elections? What the Data and Research Shows - Newsweek
Source excerpt: “"There were judges appointed by Donald Trump, and they all reached the conclusion there was not widespread ballot fraud and the election ... A new re...”