Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Documented voter fraud in the U.S. is rare. It occurs in isolated instances and is prosecuted, but multiple studies and official reviews have found no evidence of widespread fraud capable of changing statewide or national results.

What the evidence shows

•Studies that examined past elections found incident rates on the order of thousandths of a percent (roughly 0.0003%–0.0025%), and a well‑known review found just 31 credible cases of in‑person voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.[1]

•After 2020, federal and state election security officials jointly stated the November 3, 2020 election was the most secure in U.S. history; subsequent audits and court reviews did not uncover evidence of widespread fraud.[2]

•A conservative-leaning database that compiles proven cases across decades shows that fraud does happen, but the total number (about 1,500+ cases as of late 2025) is tiny compared with the hundreds of millions of votes cast in that period.[3]

•Claims about noncitizen voting continue to surface, but investigations consistently find it to be vanishingly rare. Recent reporting again underscored the lack of evidence that it occurs at scale.[4]

Real but localized problems

•North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District (2018): the state board unanimously ordered a new election after finding the race was tainted by an absentee‑ballot scheme.[5]

•Bridgeport, Connecticut (2023): a state judge threw out a mayoral primary over mishandled absentee ballots and ordered a new primary.[6]

Safeguards that limit fraud and catch errors

•Paper ballots, voter‑verified records, and routine post‑election audits are now standard; every state has enacted some form of audit requirement, and many use risk‑limiting audits to statistically confirm outcomes.[7]

Bottom line: Voter and election fraud are not zero, and authorities should (and do) investigate and prosecute cases. But the best available data and official reviews indicate it is not a systemic problem in U.S. elections and has not altered national outcomes. If you want, tell me your state and I can summarize recent cases, safeguards, and rules where you vote.

Citations (7)

1brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Resources on Voter Fraud Claims | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “Studies that examined past elections found incident rates on the order of thousandths of a percent (roughly 0.0003%–0.0025%), and a well‑known review found just 31 credible cases of in‑person voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.”
2house.govGovernment
Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees | CISA
Backs: “After 2020, federal and state election security officials jointly stated the November 3, 2020 election was the most secure in U.S. history; subsequent audits and court reviews did not uncover evidence of widespread fraud.”
3heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Heritage Releases Updated Election Fraud Database, Featuring New Fraud Map | The Heritage Foundation
Backs: “A conservative-leaning database that compiles proven cases across decades shows that fraud does happen, but the total number (about 1,500+ cases as of late 2025) is tiny compared with the hundreds of millions of votes cast in that period.”
4brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Noncitizen Voting is Vanishingly Rare | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “Recent reporting again underscored the lack of evidence that it occurs at scale.”
5ncsbe.govGovernment
I. INTRODUCTION
Backs: “North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District (2018): the state board unanimously ordered a new election after finding the race was tainted by an absentee‑ballot scheme.”
6nbcconnecticut.comNews and mediaquality 0.55
Judge orders new Bridgeport mayoral primary after surveillance videos show possible ballot stuffing – NBC Connecticut
Backs: “Bridgeport, Connecticut (2023): a state judge threw out a mayoral primary over mishandled absentee ballots and ordered a new primary.”
7eac.govGovernment
Election Audits Across the United States | U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Backs: “Paper ballots, voter‑verified records, and routine post‑election audits are now standard; every state has enacted some form of audit requirement, and many use risk‑limiting audits to statistically confirm outcomes.”