Is there really voter fraud?
Two terms thrown around regarding the process of fair and free elections and raising the integrity of the election process in the United States have been “Voter Fraud” and “Election Fraud”.
For the past 52 years I have voted in every election and not once have I encountered a problem other than a small wait in line.
Watching the process I still have a hard time envisioning someone somehow voting twice. It seems impossible that someone who passed away could vote in an election unless an election worker has not been properly trained or is not being properly supervised at the ballot box. What seems more likely to happen is the topic of fraud and voter irregularities surges in conversations, especially during Presidential elections and people automatically assume voter fraud is widespread and happens frequently. In all reality you might be surprised that it is actually extremely rare.
We are fast approaching early voting and the general election is only about three weeks away. Data on voter fraud shows no significant impacts on Presidential elections, especially in areas where the number of voters is smaller and margins are thinner.
Much of alleged voter fraud is a result of people mistakenly trying to vote in the wrong polling place. Voter fraud just doesn’t happen much on a widespread level. For one thing it’s against the law and we have trained officials who are trained to find it.
Voter fraud is rare and when it does occur the fraudulent votes are not enough to overturn elections at the federal level.
False information is more of a concern than voter fraud. That type of information allows people to believe that voter fraud is caused by foreign interference, however foreign interference happens by other means than the ballot box. It occurs through phone calls, text messages and social media in the form of swaying votes or preventing people from voting.
Research has shown that fraud at the ballot box is extremely rare , yet false allegations of fraud can make it harder for millions of eligible Americans to take part in elections. Politicians have falsely claimed the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections had led to large numbers of people voting illegally. Nothing is further from the truth. Voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent, the same is true for alleged fraudulent mail in ballots.
So go vote! Election officials are highly trained, they use sophisticated equipment. Dead people are not voting, non-citizens are not voting and people are not voting twice. Voter fraud is virtually baseless. It is your civic duty to vote and it is your legal right to vote. If you have registered legally to vote, head to the ballot box and cast your vote for the candidates of your choice. You will feel a sense of pride in knowing you have participated in the process that makes America great.