Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Voter fraud exists but is rare in the U.S., and it very seldom affects election outcomes. Most flagged “fraud” turns out to be clerical error, misunderstanding, or routine list maintenance rather than intentional cheating.

What the research and records show

•Multiple reviews have found extremely low overall fraud rates; in-person voter impersonation is especially uncommon. One well-known analysis identified 31 credible impersonation incidents out of more than 1 billion ballots cast (2000–2014).[1]

•Mail voting is also low risk: analyses drawing on cases and national data find no evidence that voting by mail increases fraud, estimating roughly 6–46 mail‑ballot fraud cases per general election nationwide.[2]

•Still, isolated, localized schemes do occur—often involving absentee ballots—and can force redo elections. Examples include North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018 (absentee‑ballot operation led to a new election) and Bridgeport, Connecticut’s 2023 mayoral primary (court-ordered new primary; related arrests in a separate 2019 case).[3]

Safeguards and oversight

•U.S. elections are now widely backed by paper ballots and audited; officials and experts called the November 3, 2020 election “the most secure in American history,” and states have expanded post‑election risk‑limiting audits since then.[4]

If you want to report a suspected election crime or see what your state does to secure elections, start with the federal guidance here and your state/local election office.[5]

Bottom line: Fraud is possible and prosecuted when found, but the best available evidence shows it is uncommon and not a systemic problem in the United States.[1]

Citations (5)

1brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Resources on Voter Fraud Claims | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “One well-known analysis identified 31 credible impersonation incidents out of more than 1 billion ballots cast (2000–2014).”
2brookings.eduNonprofits and think tanks
Mail voting fraud: Data points to low risk and high benefits for voters | Brookings
Backs: “Mail voting is also low risk: analyses drawing on cases and national data find no evidence that voting by mail increases fraud, estimating roughly 6–46 mail‑ballot fraud cases per general election nationwide.”
3ncsbe.govGovernment
State Board continues investigation into 9th Congressional District irregularities | NCSBE
Backs: “Examples include North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018 (absentee‑ballot operation led to a new election) and Bridgeport, Connecticut’s 2023 mayoral primary (court-ordered new primary; related arrests in a separate 2019 case).”
4house.govGovernment
Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees | CISA
Backs: “U.S. elections are now widely backed by paper ballots and audited; officials and experts called the November 3, 2020 election “the most secure in American history,” and states have expanded post‑election risk‑limiting audits since then.”
5usa.govGovernment
Voter fraud, voter suppression, and other election crimes | USAGov
Backs: “If you want to report a suspected election crime or see what your state does to secure elections, start with the federal guidance here and your state/local election office.”