One-in-Five Mail-In Voters Admit They Cheated in 2020 Election
More than 20% of voters who used mail-in ballots in 2020 admit they participated in at least one form of election fraud.
Tuesday, December 12, 2023
More than 20% of voters who used mail-in ballots in 2020 admit they participated in at least one form of election fraud.
A new national telephone and online survey by Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute finds that 21% of Likely U.S. voters who voted by absentee or mail-in ballot in the 2020 election say they filled out a ballot, in part or in full, on behalf of a friend or family member, such as a spouse or child, while 78% say they didn’t. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
Thirty percent (30%) of those surveyed said they voted by absentee or mail-in ballot in the 2020 election. Nineteen percent (19%) of those who cast mail-in votes say a friend or family member filled out their ballot, in part or in full, on their behalf. Furthermore, 17% of mail-in voters say that in the 2020 election, they cast a ballot in a state where they were no longer a permanent resident. All of these practices are illegal, Heartland Institute officials noted.
“The results of this survey are nothing short of stunning,” said Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center at the Heartland Institute. “For the past three years, Americans have repeatedly been told that the 2020 election was the most secure in history. But if this poll’s findings are reflective of reality, the exact opposite is true. This conclusion isn’t based on conspiracy theories or suspect evidence, but rather from the responses made directly by the voters themselves.
”(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.The survey of 1,085 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on November 30-December 6, 2023 by Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute.
The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Seventeen percent (17%) of those who cast mail-in ballots in 2020 say they signed a ballot or ballot envelope on behalf of a friend or family member, with or without their permission. Heartland Institute officials noted that “forging a signature on a ballot or ballot envelope are fraudulent activities that invalidate votes.
”Among other findings of the Rasmussen/Heartland Institute survey:– Forty-six percent (46%) of those surveyed voted for Joe Biden in 2020, while 45% voted for Donald Trump. More Biden voters (36%) than Trump voters (23%) say they voted by absentee or mail-in ballot in the 2020 election. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of Democrats voted by mail in 2020, as did 24% of Republicans and 27% of voters not affiliated with either major party.
– Among those who cast mail-in ballots in 2020, nearly equal percentages of Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters admitted to fraudulent activities. For example, 19% of Republicans, 16% of Democrats and 17% of unaffiliated voters who cast 2020 mail-in ballots say they signed a ballot or ballot envelope on behalf of a friend or family member. On the question of voting in a state where they were no longer a permanent resident. more Republican mail-in voters (24%) than Democrats (17%) or unaffiliated voters (11%) admitted doing so.
– Among all voters – not just those who voted by mail – 11% say a friend, family member, co-worker, or other acquaintance has admitted to them that they filled out a ballot on behalf of another person in 2020. Ten percent (10%) have a relative or acquaintance who has admitted to you that they cast a mail-in ballot in 2020 in a state other than their state of permanent residence, and eight percent (8%) say that a friend, family member, or organization, such as a political party, offer to pay or reward them for voting in the 2020 election.
– Twenty-five percent (25%) of whites, 35% of black voters, 49% of Hispanics and 41% of other minorities say they voted by absentee or mail-in ballot in the 2020 election. Minority voters are significantly more likely than whites to say they engaged in fraudulent election activities in 2020. For example, whites (3%) are much less likely than black voters (15%), Hispanics (29%) or other minorities (8%) to say someone offered to pay them to vote in 2020.
– Forty-two percent (42%) of voters under 40 say they cast a mail-in ballot in the 2020 election, as do 22% of those ages 40-64 and 30% of voters 65 and older. Younger voters are significantly more likely to admit to engaging in fraudulent election activity. For example, 31% of voters under 40 who voted by mail in 2020 say they cast a mail-in ballot in a state where they were no longer a permanent resident, compared to 11% of those ages 40-64 and just two percent (2%) of voters 65 and older. “A democratic republic cannot survive if election laws allow voters to commit fraud easily, and that’s exactly what occurred during the 2020 election,” said Haskins of The Heartland Institute. “Although some progress has been made in more than a dozen states since the conclusion of the 2020 election, much more work is needed in most regions of the United States. If America’s election laws do not improve soon, voters and politicians will continue to question the truthfulness and fairness of all future elections.”
Less than a quarter of voters believe Congress is doing anything to make their lives better.
Less than a year before the 2024 election, voters still trust Republicans more on the key issue of taxes, although the margin has narrowed.
Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to the public as well as to Platinum Members.
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