Voter Fraud
2024 promises to be a crazy election year, making it worthwhile to take a look at voter fraud issues that could lead to some real problems for individuals who are charged.
The Facts About Voter Fraud
Most Americans care about election integrity and believe fraud of any kind is absolutely unacceptable. That being said, it’s become very clear that voter fraud is extremely rare in this country, despite claims to the contrary in recent elections. That’s according to numerous studies. And there are already claims floating around purporting that the 2024 presidential election is “rigged.” Here’s what we know about recent claims of such fraud:
- The real rate of voter impersonation is no higher than 0.003 percent.
- Most incidents can be traced back to a clerical or similar error.
- Between 2000-2014, just 31 cases of credible voter fraud due to impersonation occurred throughout the country.
- The 2016 election saw just four cases of documented fraud.
- One study found that the probability of non-citizen voter fraud is zero.
- Mail-in votes have been found to be just as secure as in-person votes.
- The vast majority of voter fraud claims have been found to be without merit in multiple studies.
Examples of Voter Fraud
In the event someone did wish to commit voter fraud, there are a number of ways to break the law:
- Casting multiple ballots in the same election;
- Voting when ineligible (such as due to age, citizenship status, or felony status);
- Voting in the name of someone who is deceased;
- Voting or registering in the name of someone else without their consent, or of a fictional person and forging their signature;
- Changing the information on someone else’s registration form, or throwing it away because you don’t like the party they’re associated with;
- Buying and/or selling votes;
- As an official, manipulating ballots by throwing out ballots, changing people’s votes, or casting ballots in the name of other voters.
Penalties for Voter Fraud
While voter fraud is extremely rare, when it does occur, offenders can look forward to the possibility of both state and federal penalties, including thousands in fines and five years in a federal prison if federally charged. Here in the Silver State there have been occasional convictions for voter fraud. One case involved Craig Frank, who was found guilty of voting twice and sentenced to 12-30 months in Nevada State Prison. Lucky for Frank, the judge suspended his sentence and he got probation instead. Donald Hartle, who was convicted for sending in his deceased wife’s ballot, got off with a $2000 fine and a year of probation.
Defending Charges
At Lobo Law, our dedicated Las Vegas criminal defense attorneys always fight for the best possible outcomes for you. If you’ve been accused of voter fraud, schedule a confidential consultation in our office today.
Source:
brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/debunking-voter-fraud-myth
