Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Intentional voter fraud in the U.S. exists but is rare, and confirmed cases seldom affect election outcomes.

What the evidence shows

•In-person voter impersonation (the kind photo ID laws target) is extraordinarily uncommon: a nationwide review found 31 credible incidents out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.[1]

•After 2020, the Associated Press examined every potential fraud case in six disputed swing states and found fewer than 475—far too few to change any results.[2]

•There are isolated but real cases, including one serious absentee‑ballot scheme that forced a new election in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018.[3]

•A conservative database maintained by the Heritage Foundation catalogs proven fraud cases across decades; even so, independent analyses note these totals are tiny in the context of hundreds of millions of votes and often include offenses other than illegal voting (like petition fraud or insider misconduct).[4]

Safeguards and oversight

•U.S. elections use multiple layers of security—voter registration checks, signature/ID verification, paper ballots, and post‑election audits. In 2020, the federal elections security coalition led by CISA called it “the most secure in American history.”[5]

•Post‑election audits are now required in all states in some form, and many states have adopted statistically rigorous risk‑limiting audits to verify outcomes.[6]

Bottom line: Voter fraud happens occasionally and is prosecuted, but the best available data—across academic studies, audits, and investigations—shows it occurs at extremely low rates and has not been shown to systematically change U.S. election results.[1]

Citations (6)

1washingtonpost.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 voter impersonation (the kind photo ID laws target) is extraordinarily uncommon: a nationwide review found 31 credible incidents out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.”
2pbs.orgNews and mediaquality 0.87
AP review finds far too little vote fraud to tip 2020 election to Trump | PBS News
Backs: “After 2020, the Associated Press examined every potential fraud case in six disputed swing states and found fewer than 475—far too few to change any results.”
3ncsbe.govGovernment
I. INTRODUCTION
Backs: “There are isolated but real cases, including one serious absentee‑ballot scheme that forced a new election in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018.”
4heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Heritage Releases Updated Election Fraud Database, Featuring New Fraud Map | The Heritage Foundation
Backs: “A conservative database maintained by the Heritage Foundation catalogs proven fraud cases across decades; even so, independent analyses note these totals are tiny in the context of hundreds of millions of votes and often include offenses other than illegal voting (like petition fraud or insider misconduct).”
5pbs.orgNews and mediaquality 0.87
As Trump continues to push false claims of fraud, top officials say election was most secure in history | PBS News
Backs: “In 2020, the federal elections security coalition led by CISA called it “the most secure in American history.””
6ncsl.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Election Administration Legislative Action Bulletin
Backs: “Post‑election audits are now required in all states in some form, and many states have adopted statistically rigorous risk‑limiting audits to verify outcomes.”