Election Fraud

Election fraud is intentional unlawful conduct that deceives, corrupts, or interferes with an election process or its legitimate results. The term can cover different offenses depending on law, such as fraudulent registration or voting, ballot tampering, false election records, or corrupt interference. Mistakes, equipment failures, and ordinary administrative errors are not automatically fraud.

Conduct that can constitute election fraud depends on the statute and facts, but examples may include knowingly casting an unlawful ballot, altering or destroying ballots, falsifying election records, corruptly manipulating vote totals, or submitting fraudulent registration or petition information. A legal finding requires evidence of the elements defined by the applicable criminal or election law.

Suspected election fraud is typically documented and referred through official election-administration, investigative, or law-enforcement channels with jurisdiction over the alleged conduct. Investigators rely on records, ballots, logs, witness information, chain-of-custody evidence, and applicable legal standards. Claims should be distinguished from verified findings, administrative errors, recount differences, or unsupported allegations.