Allegations of voter fraud have surged as the 2024 U.S. election approaches, creating widespread fear and division among voters. Instances ranging from individuals falsely claiming to have cast multiple ballots to highly dubious claims from both domestic and foreign sources have painted an alarming picture of electoral integrity.
The concerns are compounded by personal stories, including Eliud Bonilla's, who experienced the nightmarish repercussions of being labeled a noncitizen voter fraudster. A resident of Virginia and engineer involved with NASA, Bonilla found himself wrongfully purged from the voter rolls. Despite being as American as they come—his parents are Puerto Rican—he was unjustly accused of noncitizen voting.
"I became worried because of safety," Bonilla recalls. Voter purge initiatives aimed to detect noncitizen registrations often ensnare newly naturalized citizens and even those misidentified due to clerical errors. The issue highlights the aggressive tactics of groups determined to eradicate supposed voter fraud by any means necessary.
Indeed, many purported cases of noncitizen voting stem from errors rather than malfeasance. Sean Morales-Doyle, from the Brennan Center for Justice, notes, "A lot of these folks aren’t noncitizens." A report indicated just 30 suspected incidents of noncitizen voting out of more than 23 million ballots cast during the 2016 election.
Domestically, these fears often morph through social media and other platforms, complicate real electoral issues, and detract attention from the actual processes governing voting. For example, misinformation is rampant on social media platforms, leading to wild claims like those from Cliff Maloney, founder of The Pennsylvania Chase, who accused the Benedictine Sisters of Erie of harboring fraudulent voters. The sisters quickly refuted the baseless accusations, asserting their active presence and legitimacy.
Far beyond the credibility of individual citizens is the looming influence of foreign misinformation. A recent effort by Russian operatives has been traced back to manipulated videos falsely depicting the destruction of ballots. According to Darren Linvill, a disinformation researcher, this effort seems tied to grouped campaigns aimed at undermining trust in U.S. elections. The Bucks County Board of Elections condemned the fabricated footage, emphasizing the dangers of such tactics, which sow distrust among voters.
Similarly concerning is the situation surrounding Mesa County, Colorado, where election officials discovered multiple fraudulent votes counted among legitimate ones. Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced plans to reexamine thousands of ballots, attributing the issue to earlier failures to validate signatures on ballots compared to registered voters’ signatures. "It appears approximately a dozen voters had their ballots intercepted and cast without their knowledge," she stated.
The use of mail-in voting has sharply divided public opinion, especially as October marks the beginning of early voting and the distribution of ballots. Former President Trump has historically criticized mail-in voting, claiming it allows for fraud; yet, he has also recently encouraged supporters to engage with it this election season.
Despite the alarming claims of widespread voter fraud, comprehensive audits have shown little evidence to support the notion of it being commonplace. For example, the conservative Heritage Foundation, which lists reportedly fraudulent cases, has counted under 100 instances between 2002-2022 out of more than 1 billion ballots cast.
Bonilla, following his experience with false voter fraud claims, took action against the Public Interest Legal Foundation when it released his information alongside the implication of wrongdoing. The foundation later settled the case but maintained its position, arguing they were acting on legitimate concerns. Adams argues voters must be cautious, stating, “This isn’t about throwing an election. This is about having a system.”
Set against this backdrop, election security has become front and center, with experts cautioned about impending misinformation from multiple fronts, especially as Election Day approaches and new ballots are counted. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned of heightened foreign influence, with states like Pennsylvania likely to see disinformation proliferate as voting results come to light.
This pattern raises the pressing question: How can the public discern credible information from noise? With officials urging vigilance and community engagement, it appears the battle for electoral integrity extends well beyond the date marked on the calendar—November 5, 2024. The 2024 election boils down to voter empowerment and the responsibility of both information-sharing systems and individuals.
Voting naturally becomes perilous ground when disinformation clouds reality, potentially affecting the future of democracy amid polarized opinions. What remains clear is the necessity for transparent and accurate reporting on electoral matters, alongside the need for communities to engage with and combat misinformation aiming to derail the democratic process.
