In 2016, candidate Trump declared voter fraud was a problem and urged Americans not to lose their elections. He claimed that millions of votes had been cast against him by fraudulent people. Then he formed a special commission to investigate the issue, but the commission was quietly disbanded in early 2018 without producing any evidence. While Trump promised to do something about voter fraud, his administration has so far shown no interest in addressing the documented threats to election integrity. These threats include partisan gerrymandering, and the way ballots are handled in states with partisan officials.
Although non-citizens are not eligible to vote in national elections, they can sometimes be registered to vote. In addition, voter registration cards are linked to motor vehicle registrations. Therefore, even if a person has multiple motor vehicle registrations, they can still register to vote in a particular state. If you suspect that someone is attempting to vote in your state, file a complaint with your state’s election officials.
One of Trump’s most infamous claims of voter fraud was the one that led to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. The majority of Republicans believed Trump’s claim. Voter fraud was also blamed for the 2021 recall election in California, which featured a Trump ally Larry Elder. Elder’s website claimed voter fraud was to blame for Newsom’s re-election as governor. Trump claimed that the election was “totally rigged.” Elder ended up losing the election by 62 percent to 38 percent.
There are many ways in which voter fraud can occur. Some of these methods include false voter registration, using a phony name and address, and claiming to reside in a jurisdiction where the voter does not live. Another common method is bogus absentee ballots, where fraudulent people obtain voter registration cards, forge signatures, and tell voters who to vote for. The final one is the practice of buying votes, where people are paid in cash or beverages to vote.
In recent elections, Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that there were millions of votes cast by illegal individuals. This is especially outrageous since he lost the popular vote to Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. He has made allegations of voter fraud several times and has called for a major investigation. His claim that voters have cast 3.5 to 5 million illegal votes has not been substantiated and he has failed to provide any evidence to support it.
Using mail ballots doesn’t increase the risk of electoral fraud, but abusers of this system may face fines and prison time. Some states have universal “vote by mail” and others use absentee ballots. In 2016, nearly one-quarter of all U.S. votes were cast by mail. Despite the concerns of many, these methods do not prevent voter fraud. They are still not foolproof, but they are still an effective way to vote.