Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Documented voter fraud in the U.S. is rare, typically isolated, and not widespread enough to affect most election outcomes. It does occur occasionally—most often involving absentee ballots—but large, outcome-changing schemes are exceptional.

What the evidence shows

•Overall prevalence: Multiple reviews of elections studied closely for fraud find incident rates on the order of thousandths to ten‑thousandths of a percent.[1]

•In‑person “impersonation” at the polls is vanishingly rare (a well‑known review found 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots over 2000–2014).[2]

•Notable exceptions exist: for example, North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District (2018) saw an absentee‑ballot scheme that led the state board to order a new election.[3]

•Localized absentee‑ballot misconduct has triggered remedies elsewhere too, such as Connecticut’s 2023 Bridgeport mayoral primary, where a judge ordered a new primary after evidence of ballot abuse.[4]

•Claims about noncitizen voting surface regularly, but recent reporting and expert reviews continue to find it is very rare and not at levels that would sway national results.[5]

Bottom line: Voter fraud exists but at very low rates; election officials investigate and prosecute it, and when problems are serious, courts or state boards can order new elections. If you’d like, tell me your state and I can summarize recent cases, safeguards, and rules where you vote.

Citations (5)

1brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Debating Election Integrity | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “Multiple reviews of elections studied closely for fraud find incident rates on the order of thousandths to ten‑thousandths of a percent.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Reviews of closely studied elections find fraud incident rates on the order of thousandths to ten-thousandths of a percent.
2washingtonpost.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: “In‑person “impersonation” at the polls is vanishingly rare (a well‑known review found 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots over 2000–2014).”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: A review found 31 credible impersonation cases out of over 1 billion ballots from 2000 to 2014.
3ncsbe.govGovernment
State Board unanimously orders new election in 9th Congressional District | NCSBE
Backs: “Notable exceptions exist: for example, North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District (2018) saw an absentee‑ballot scheme that led the state board to order a new election.”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: North Carolina's 9th District 2018 absentee-ballot scheme led the state board to order a new election.
4ctpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.80
Judge's order for Bridgeport mayoral primary: no extra absentee time
Backs: “Localized absentee‑ballot misconduct has triggered remedies elsewhere too, such as Connecticut’s 2023 Bridgeport mayoral primary, where a judge ordered a new primary after evidence of ballot abuse.”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: A judge ordered a new Bridgeport mayoral primary in 2023 after evidence of absentee ballot abuse.
5apnews.comNews and mediaquality 1.00
Trump's campaign against noncitizen voting demonstrates it's rare and not enough to swing elections
Backs: “Claims about noncitizen voting surface regularly, but recent reporting and expert reviews continue to find it is very rare and not at levels that would sway national results.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Noncitizen voting is very rare and not at levels that would sway national results.