Election Day Fact Check: 8 Common Voter Fraud Myths, Debunked

Election fraud is a term that gets thrown around a lot. But for all the chatter, a lot of the claims you hear about voter fraud are actually based on myths that have been thoroughly debunked. From “dead people voting” to widespread claims of illegal ballots, let’s dive into some of the 7 most common election fraud myths and set the record straight. 

Ready to separate fact from fiction this Election Day? Let’s go:

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“Millions of Undocumented Immigrants Are Voting”

One of the most common voter fraud myths is that millions of undocumented immigrants are voting in U.S. elections, tipping the scales in favor of one candidate or another. However, there’s no credible evidence that this is true. Noncitizen voting is exceedingly rare, and there’s no evidence it has changed the outcome of a federal election.

Voter-registration systems include citizenship attestations and other safeguards, and noncitizens who vote illegally can face serious criminal penalties. Recent reporting has highlighted isolated allegations and prosecutions, but those cases don’t show a broad pattern of noncitizen voting.

The Heritage Foundation’s own database, which is often cited by fraud skeptics and skeptics of fraud alike, includes about 89 noncitizen-voting cases, which is a very small number relative to the scale of U.S. elections.

“Absentee/Mail Ballots Are More Prone to Fraud”

Mail voting has been used in U.S. elections for decades, and the evidence doesn’t show that it produces widespread fraud. It’s also a routine option for voters across the political spectrum. Pope Leo XIV, a registered Illinois voter, submitted a mail ballot from Vatican City for the 2026 midterms, President Trump voted by mail twice in Florida elections this year, and military and overseas voters have long used mail ballots under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

A 2026 BBC review of the Heritage Foundation database found 325 convictions involving fraudulent use of postal ballots over the previous 20 years. These are real cases, but they’re a tiny fraction of the hundreds of millions of mail ballots cast.

States use safeguards such as signature matching, barcode tracking, secure drop boxes, deadlines, bipartisan processing procedures, and post-election audits. Research reviewed by Brookings found an average of roughly four fraud cases for every 10 million postal votes across the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 elections.

Fraud and ballot tampering should always be investigated, but isolated criminal acts don’t show that mail voting is systematically insecure.

“Dead People Are Voting”

Dead people aren’t casting ballots from beyond the grave, and claims that large numbers of people are voting using a deceased person’s identity aren’t supported by evidence.

What sometimes happens is more mundane: voter rolls can take time to update after someone dies. A deceased person remaining on a voter list doesn’t mean they voted; it means the list hasn’t been updated yet. Election officials routinely conduct list maintenance, investigate flagged cases, and remove ineligible records.

Also, when a ballot is cast, states use safeguards such as signature verification, identification requirements where applicable, address checks, ballot tracking, and post-election audits. Isolated errors can happen, but they’re administrative issues. They’re not evidence of a grand conspiracy.

“Voting Machines Are Rigged”

After elections, there’s often talk of voting machines being rigged or hacked to change votes. Once again, these aren’t claims supported by credible evidence. 

U.S. elections are decentralized: states and local jurisdictions administer them using different equipment, procedures, testing routines, and audit rules.

Many jurisdictions use paper ballots or voter-verifiable paper records, which allow election officials to audit or recount results independently of the machine tally. Pre-election testing, post-election audits, physical security, and certification requirements add further layers of protection.

While hacking concerns are valid in our tech-driven world, the actual likelihood of machines being hacked at scale is incredibly slim, thanks to rigorous testing and monitoring. No system is perfect, and election officials continue to strengthen security. But a paper record, where it exists, provides a crucial safeguard against digital manipulation.

“Ballot Harvesting Means Fraud”

“Ballot harvesting” refers to a third party collecting and submitting a voter’s completed ballot. This practice is restricted or prohibited in some states and permitted with rules in others, and it isn’t inherently fraudulent. 

In states that allow it, rules may limit who may return a ballot, how many ballots a person may submit, and whether the voter must give permission. When abuse occurs, it should be investigated and prosecuted, but the existence of a collection program isn’t evidence of fraud.

“Double Voting Is Rampant”

This myth claims that people are voting twice, either by submitting multiple ballots or voting in more than one state. But the truth is that double voting is very rare, and when it happens, it’s usually due to clerical errors, confusion about residency, or, in rare cases, a deliberate attempt to vote more than once, but it’s not a widespread phenomenon.

States use registration lists, interstate data-sharing tools, and post-election audits to identify potential duplicates. When credible allegations arise, officials can investigate and refer cases for prosecution. The key point is that the system is designed to detect and address these cases, not ignore them.

“Voter ID Laws Are the Only Way to Prevent Fraud”

Voter ID laws are one tool states use to verify a voter’s identity, but they aren’t the only safeguard, and voter impersonation is one of the rarest forms of election fraud.

States use a mix of measures, including signature verification, voter-registration checks, ballot tracking, poll-book reconciliation, audits, and criminal penalties. The appropriate balance depends on state law and the specific voting method.

It’s also important to recognize that ID requirements can create barriers for eligible voters who lack ready access to qualifying documents, including some low-income voters, older adults, students, and people with disabilities. Any voting rule should be evaluated for both its security purpose and its effect on eligible voters’ access.

“Election Fraud Is Widespread”

Perhaps the biggest myth of all is that election fraud is widespread and happening all the time, affecting election outcomes in a major way. It does happen, and every credible case should be investigated, but the evidence doesn’t support the claim that it routinely decides U.S. elections. 

The Heritage Foundation’s election-fraud database, a conservative source often cited in these debates, listed 1,619 election-related offense cases as of 2025. The database has grown since 2024, but it remains a small number relative to the more than a billion votes cast over the period it covers.

Important caveat: these are cases of election-related misconduct, not necessarily 1,619 fraudulent ballots cast. They include conduct such as registration fraud, absentee-ballot misuse, duplicate voting, and other violations. Even taking the database at face value, the number is far too small to alter the outcome of a national election.

Election fraud is a serious issue, and any instance of fraud should be investigated. But when it comes to the big claims you often hear—dead people voting, millions of undocumented immigrants casting ballots, or voting machines being hacked—the data tells a different story. Election fraud is rare, and the systems in place to prevent it are sturdy and constantly improving.