Is voter fraud a problem in the US?
Short answer: It happens, but it’s rare. Across many election cycles, independent research, courts, and U.S. security and law‑enforcement agencies have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud that changes national outcomes. Studies consistently show extremely low rates of in‑person impersonation and other illegal voting relative to hundreds of millions of ballots cast. For example, one multi‑year review found just 31 credible instances of voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion ballots (2000–2014), and an analysis of mail voting in several states found about 0.0025% possible double or deceased‑voter cases in 2016–2018.[1]
Officials from both parties and multiple federal agencies have said the same. After the 2020 election, the Justice Department stated it had not found fraud on a scale that would change the result; election‑security officials likewise called 2020 the most secure in U.S. history. For 2022 and 2024, federal assessments reported no evidence that malicious activity compromised election infrastructure or altered ballots or tallies.[2]
Fraud does occur in isolated cases and is prosecuted. Each election cycle, the Department of Justice brings a small number of cases (for example, recent indictments for illegal voting or fraudulent registration tied to the 2022 or 2024 elections). Advocacy groups that track prosecutions also document cases over the years—but the totals are tiny compared with the volume of lawful votes.[3]
Very occasionally, localized schemes have affected a race—most notably the 2018 North Carolina 9th Congressional District, where absentee‑ballot fraud led the state to order a new election, and a 2020 Paterson, New Jersey city council contest that was invalidated by a judge over mail‑ballot abuses. These are the exceptions that prove the rule.[4]
Why the overall risk stays low: U.S. elections use numerous safeguards—paper ballots, bipartisan chain‑of‑custody, signature/ID checks, and post‑election audits (including risk‑limiting audits in many places). These measures let officials detect and correct problems and verify results.[5]
If you’d like, tell me your state and I can summarize how your elections are secured and what audits are used where you vote.
Citations (5)
- A comprehensive investigation of voter impersonation finds 31 credible incidents out of one billion ballots cast - The Washington Post
Backs: “For example, one multi‑year review found just 31 credible instances of voter impersonation out of more than 1 billion ballots (2000–2014), and an analysis of mail voting in several states found about 0.0025% possible double or deceased‑voter cases in 2016–2018.”
- Barr says Justice Department found no evidence of fraud that would change election outcome | PBS News
Backs: “For 2022 and 2024, federal assessments reported no evidence that malicious activity compromised election infrastructure or altered ballots or tallies.”
- Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Announces Charges and Guilty Pleas Involving 12 Individuals for Election Crimes | United States Department of Justice
Backs: “Advocacy groups that track prosecutions also document cases over the years—but the totals are tiny compared with the volume of lawful votes.”
- I. INTRODUCTION
Backs: “Very occasionally, localized schemes have affected a race—most notably the 2018 North Carolina 9th Congressional District, where absentee‑ballot fraud led the state to order a new election, and a 2020 Paterson, New Jersey city council contest that was invalidated by a judge over mail‑ballot abuses. These are the…”
- EAC Commissioners Issue Policy in Support of Paper-Based and Auditable Voting Systems | U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Backs: “These measures let officials detect and correct problems and verify results.”