Category Overview

Fraud — Election Security Glossary

2 election security terms in the Fraud category, with definitions sourced from NIST, CISA, EAC, and 30+ authoritative documents.

Browse all 2 terms in Fraud

Tampering

"Any person wilfully tampering or attempting to tamper with, disarrange, deface, or impair in any manner whatsoever, or destroy any voting machine while the same is in use at any…

Medium consensus3 sources

Ballot Stuffing

An election fraud in which ballots not cast by any registered voter are added to those ballots properly cast.

Low consensus2 sources

By ESG Editorial Team · Drawing on DOJ, state attorneys general, academic research, and 25+ sources on election fraud investigation and prosecution

Election fraud is the deliberate deception or manipulation of electoral processes or outcomes. The category covers voter fraud (individuals casting ballots they are not entitled to cast, or multiple ballots), election worker fraud (altering results, manipulating equipment, or breaking chain of custody), and systemic fraud (organized efforts to manipulate election outcomes at scale).

Why this category matters for election security is that the actual prevalence of fraud is far lower than its prominence in public discussion suggests. Documented incidents of individual voter fraud are rare and rarely affect outcomes. Documented incidents of large-scale fraud in modern U.S. elections are essentially nonexistent. This is the consistent finding of federal investigations, state audits, and academic research. Misperception of fraud prevalence is itself a problem, because it can erode public confidence in legitimate results.

Federal agencies including the Department of Justice, state attorneys general, and state election officials investigate and prosecute allegations of fraud. The Department of Justice has a long record of pursuing election fraud cases, and federal sentencing guidelines treat election fraud as a serious matter.

The terminology in this category covers the various types of fraud, the investigative and prosecutorial framework, and the evidence base on prevalence. The concepts here are precise. They distinguish between documented and alleged, between individual and systemic, and between legal and illegal.

Key Concepts

Voter Fraud

Illegal voting activity by individuals, including voting in the wrong jurisdiction, voting under a false identity, or casting multiple ballots.

Election Fraud

Deliberate manipulation of electoral processes or outcomes by election workers, officials, or other insiders.

Ballot Stuffing

The illegal practice of adding fraudulent ballots to an election to influence the result.

Vote Buying

The illegal practice of offering payment or other inducements in exchange for casting a vote for a particular candidate or option.

How These Terms Relate

These concepts together describe the types of election fraud, the framework for investigating and prosecuting it, and the evidence base on prevalence. The terminology draws on criminal law, election administration, and academic research. The unifying theme is precision. Election fraud is a specific category of conduct, not a vague accusation. Understanding what it is and what it is not is essential to addressing it effectively.