Just how widespread is voter fraud in this country?
After the 2020 election, Donald Trump put concerns about election fraud front and center, and while I have never believed we could have enough voter fraud to tilt a presidential contest, it is very much a problem in local and state elections.
To that point, the Ohio attorney general has just referred more than 1,200 cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ), mostly in relation to non-citizens who were registered to vote.
There are very few instances, if any, in which proven voter fraud has been so widespread that it would have impacted the outcome of a presidential election, or even turned the result in a single state, including during the 2020 contest.
Voter fraud, however, in any form, should not exist, given the technology we have available today. And there is one aspect of this issue that nobody ever seems to talk about, and that is how fraud impacts local and state elections. Even minuscule voter fraud can impact these races, and I have witnessed it during my days in Philadelphia, where, years later, voter fraud was investigated to prove it had indeed influenced local races.
As an example, of the 88 state legislative races that were run in 2022, there were 31 contests that were decided by 100 votes or fewer. That is more than 35% of the race that, even with a small amount of voter fraud, would have been impacted by the outcome.
That is why I believe the cop-out of not aggressively going after voter fraud due to arguments of “no widespread voter fraud” is unacceptable. We are not just talking about presidential elections here. Local races, which I believe are far more important, can easily be impacted by voter fraud.
So, with all the controls we have in place today, how is it possible to even be able to commit voter fraud? Well, that is because most states still use antiquated methods, and both sides are digging in to the point that more modern security cannot be put in place to negate fraud.
The use of ineligible voters is the one area in which fraudsters love to take advantage. This is largely done by casting ballots on behalf of voters who have passed away or who have moved but are still featured as active on a voter roll. This would also include non-citizens being added to voter rolls, as we have seen happen in some Democrat-led states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver's licenses or state IDs.
Absentee ballots are a method that has come under the spotlight in recent years, as well as mail-in voting, especially when drop boxes are used to cast ballots. There is a big argument going on between the parties now about how these ballots can be verified.
Voter impersonation is also an issue, especially in states that do not require ID to vote, such as California. There are also issues with illegal assistance in voting, which is a concern where disabled or elderly citizens are casting their votes.
On Tuesday, Ohio Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose referred more than 1,200 cases to the DOJ for possible criminal prosecution, with 1,084 of those cases involving non-citizens who allegedly registered to vote in the state. Included in those referrals were more than 165 cases where the individuals were believed to have voted in past election cycles.
LaRose stated, “Ohio has earned its reputation as the Gold Standard, and our Election Integrity Unit continues to prove why.”
He continued, “We work tirelessly to ensure that every eligible voter’s voice is heard, and anyone who tries to cheat the system will face serious consequences.”
For my regular readers, you know this is a very passionate issue for me. But I think the problem is that one side blows the scope of concern out of proportion, while the other side downplays the issue. Just be honest… no amount of voter fraud is acceptable, and the real risk here is to city and state elections. Just be honest about it, and let’s address the issue to eliminate it.
