Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Is Voter Fraud a Problem in the US?

Based on extensive research across multiple studies, databases, and government reviews, voter fraud occurs but at extremely low rates, and the overwhelming consensus among researchers—including conservative, liberal, and nonpartisan sources—is that it is not a widespread or systemic problem.

What the Research Shows

Academic studies consistently find minuscule rates:

•The Brennan Center's seminal report reviewed elections that had been meticulously studied for voter fraud, and found incident rates between 0.0003 percent and 0.0025 percent. Given this tiny incident rate for voter impersonation fraud, it's more likely that an American "will be struck by lightning than that he will impersonate another voter at the polls."

•A comprehensive 2014 study published in The Washington Post found 31 credible instances of impersonation fraud from 2000 to 2014, out of more than 1 billion ballots cast.

•In 2012, a Department of Justice unit examining the 2002 and 2004 federal elections found 0.00000013 percent of ballots cast were fraudulent.

Even using conservative-leaning sources, rates remain tiny:

•A Brookings report reviewed historical data from the Heritage Foundation, which found 1,561 instances of voter fraud that resulted in 1,325 convictions over a period spanning multiple decades. For context, in Pennsylvania alone, the Heritage Foundation analyzed 30 years of data across which 32 elections were held, and just 39 cases of voter fraud were identified—0.000039 percent of the more than 100 million ballots cast.

Most "fraud" allegations turn out to be errors, not crimes:

•A Columbia University political scientist tracked incidence rates for voter fraud for two years, and found that the rare fraud reported generally could be traced to "false claims by the loser of a close race, mischief and administrative or voter error."

•In specific investigations: an investigation in Colorado in which the Secretary of State alleged 100 cases of voter fraud yielded one conviction, while in Maine, an investigation into 200 college students revealed no evidence of fraud, and an Elections Commission appointed by a Republican secretary of state found "little or no history in Maine of voter impersonation or identification fraud."

Specific Types of Fraud

•In-person impersonation (the type voter ID laws target) is virtually nonexistent: two studies done at Arizona State University found 10 cases of voter impersonation fraud nationwide from 2000–2012, and a follow-up study looking specifically in states where politicians argued fraud was a pernicious problem found zero successful cases.

•The 2024 election: reporting shows very few criminal prosecutions for voter fraud tied directly to the 2024 election, with multiple investigations yielding small numbers of indictments and many inquiries finding no charges—analyses conclude voter fraud was not systemic in 2024. Specific cases included Ohio's indictment of six noncitizens accused of illegally voting, Minnesota charging a head election judge over 11 unregistered ballots, and Texas investigating 33 alleged noncitizen voters—isolated incidents, not coordinated schemes.

The Bottom Line

While isolated cases of voter fraud do occur every election cycle (clerical errors, occasional double-voting, rare impersonation), the data overwhelmingly shows it happens at rates far too small to affect election outcomes. As the Brennan Center summarized: "voter fraud is sufficiently rare that it simply could not and does not happen at the rate even approaching that which would be required to 'rig' an election."

That said, this remains a politically contested topic. Some officials and advocacy groups argue that even low rates justify stricter voting laws as a precaution, while others contend that such laws primarily suppress legitimate voters without meaningfully addressing a real problem. The empirical evidence, however, is clear that fraud is rare—not that it's entirely absent.

Citations (12)

1brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
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. ...”
2brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
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 t...”
3brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
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...”
4globalnews.caNot yet classified
globalnews.ca
Source excerpt: “In 2012, a Department of Justice unit examining the 2002 and 2004 federal elections found 0.00000013 per cent of ballots cast were fraudulent. ”
5newsweek.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Voter Fraud in US Elections? What the Data and Research Shows - Newsweek
Source excerpt: “Not very," the authors reviewed historical data from the right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation, which spearheaded the now-famous Project 2025....”
6thehill.comNews and mediaquality 0.90
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...”
7brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth
Source excerpt: “- A study published by a Columbia University political scientist tracked incidence rates for voter fraud for two years, and found that the rare fraud ...”
8brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth
Source excerpt: “- An investigation in Colorado, in which the Secretary of State alleged 100 cases of voter fraud, yielded one conviction. - In Maine, an investigation...”
9brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Debunking the Voter Fraud Myth
Source excerpt: “- Two studies done at Arizona State University, one in 2012 and another in 2016, found similarly negligible rates of impersonation fraud. The projec...”
10factually.coLow provenance
How many voter fraud cases were prosecuted in the 2024...
Source excerpt: “The available reporting shows **very few criminal prosecutions for voter fraud tied directly to the 2024 election**, with multiple investigations yiel...”
11factually.coLow provenance
How many voter fraud cases were prosecuted in the 2024...
Source excerpt: “Reporting from state prosecutors and local news identifies **individual prosecutions** rather than a nationwide wave: Ohio’s attorney announced an ind...”
12globalnews.caNot yet classified
globalnews.ca
Source excerpt: “According to an overview of over a dozen voter fraud investigations by New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, “voter fraud is sufficiently ...”