Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Voter fraud exists, but it is rare in the United States and there’s no credible evidence of it being widespread enough to change national election outcomes.

What the evidence shows

•Measured rates are extremely low. Reviews of past elections by researchers and the U.S. Government Accountability Office have found few instances of in‑person voter impersonation, and a well‑known analysis by law professor Justin Levitt identified 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.[1]

•Documented fraud does occur, usually in isolated, small‑scale ways (for example, false registrations, absentee‑ballot misuse, or voting by ineligible individuals). A conservative-leaning tracker of proven cases and overturned results illustrates such incidents over many years, but it is a sampling and remains tiny relative to total votes cast.[2]

•On rare occasions a local race has been tainted. The 2018 North Carolina 9th Congressional District contest was voided and rerun after the state elections board found a coordinated absentee‑ballot scheme.[3]

•Recent national elections show no sign of widespread fraud. After the 2024 elections, the federal agency charged with protecting election infrastructure (CISA) said election systems were secure and the process well‑run. Meanwhile, the Justice Department continues to bring individual cases—illustrating that illegal voting is investigated and prosecuted—but these are numerically small.[4]

•Safeguards help keep fraud rare: voter‑verified paper records, post‑election audits (including risk‑limiting audits), ID and signature checks, and routine voter‑roll maintenance by states.[5]

Bottom line

•Voter fraud is not a systemic problem in the U.S. It happens infrequently, is generally detected and prosecuted when it does, and there is no credible evidence of widespread fraud altering national outcomes. If you’re concerned about a specific kind of fraud (e.g., mail ballots, noncitizen voting, double voting), I can dig into that subtype and the latest data in your state.[6]

1.[Elections: Issues Related to State Voter Identification Laws [Reissued on February 27, 2015] | U.S. GAO](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-14-634?utm_source=openai)

Citations (6)

1gao.govGovernment
Elections: Issues Related to State Voter Identification Laws [Reissued on February 27, 2015] | U.S. GAO
Backs: “Government Accountability Office have found few instances of in‑person voter impersonation, and a well‑known analysis by law professor Justin Levitt identified 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.”
statistic, official document, points to no. Claim: Reviews by GAO and researchers found few in-person impersonation cases; Levitt found 31 credible cases among over 1 billion ballots from 2000–2014.
2heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Heritage Database | Election Fraud Map | The Heritage Foundation
Backs: “A conservative-leaning tracker of proven cases and overturned results illustrates such incidents over many years, but it is a sampling and remains tiny relative to total votes cast.”
evidence, data page, neutral. Claim: A conservative-leaning tracker documents proven fraud cases over many years, but they are a sampling and tiny relative to total votes cast.
3ncsbe.govGovernment
State Board unanimously orders new election in 9th Congressional District | NCSBE
Backs: “The 2018 North Carolina 9th Congressional District contest was voided and rerun after the state elections board found a coordinated absentee‑ballot scheme.”
evidence, article, neutral. Claim: The 2018 NC 9th District race was voided and rerun after a coordinated absentee-ballot scheme was found.
4cisa.govGovernment
Statement from CISA Director Easterly on the Security of the 2024 Elections | CISA
Backs: “Meanwhile, the Justice Department continues to bring individual cases—illustrating that illegal voting is investigated and prosecuted—but these are numerically small.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: CISA said 2024 election systems were secure and the process well-run, with no sign of widespread fraud.
5eac.govGovernment
Are voting systems secure? | U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Backs: “Safeguards help keep fraud rare: voter‑verified paper records, post‑election audits (including risk‑limiting audits), ID and signature checks, and routine voter‑roll maintenance by states.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Safeguards such as paper records, audits, ID and signature checks, and voter-roll maintenance help keep fraud rare.
6brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
The Myth of Voter Fraud | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “If you’re concerned about a specific kind of fraud (e.g., mail ballots, noncitizen voting, double voting), I can dig into that subtype and the latest data in your state.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Voter fraud is not systemic, happens infrequently, and there is no credible evidence of widespread fraud altering national outcomes.