Is voter fraud a problem in the US?

Short answer: Voter fraud exists but is very rare in the United States. Decades of research and reviews by courts and election officials consistently find only isolated cases, rarely anywhere near enough to affect outcomes.[1]

What the evidence shows

•In‑person voter impersonation (the kind voter ID laws target) is extremely uncommon. One study found just 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.[2]

•More detected problems involve absentee/mail ballots or administrative errors than in‑person voting. A prominent example was North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018, where a coordinated absentee‑ballot scheme led the state to order a new election.[3]

•Even sources that catalogue proven cases show small numbers relative to the billions of votes cast. The Heritage Foundation’s database lists roughly a few thousand adjudicated cases across several decades; analyses using those data conclude the overall rate is minuscule.[4]

•After 2020, federal and state officials said the election was the “most secure in American history,” and more than 60 post‑election lawsuits failed to show widespread fraud.[5]

Bottom line: There are occasional, prosecutable incidents—especially around mail voting—but the best available evidence indicates U.S. elections do not suffer from widespread voter fraud. If you’re curious about a specific state, election year, or type of fraud, tell me and I can zoom in.[1]

Citations (5)

1brennancenter.orgNonprofits and think tanks
The Myth of Voter Fraud | Brennan Center for Justice
Backs: “Decades of research and reviews by courts and election officials consistently find only isolated cases, rarely anywhere near enough to affect outcomes.”
2washingtonpost.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: “One study found just 31 credible cases out of more than 1 billion ballots cast from 2000–2014.”
3brookings.eduNonprofits and think tanks
Mail voting fraud: Data points to low risk and high benefits for voters | Brookings
Backs: “A prominent example was North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District in 2018, where a coordinated absentee‑ballot scheme led the state to order a new election.”
4heritage.orgNonprofits and think tanks
PRESERVE ELECTION INTEGRITY
Backs: “The Heritage Foundation’s database lists roughly a few thousand adjudicated cases across several decades; analyses using those data conclude the overall rate is minuscule.”
5globalsecurity.orgEncyclopedias and reference
Joint Statement from Elections Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council & the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Executive Committees
Backs: “After 2020, federal and state officials said the election was the “most secure in American history,” and more than 60 post‑election lawsuits failed to show widespread fraud.”