A poll by The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports found one-in-five voters who cast mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election admit to participating in at least one kind of voter fraud.When asked, “During the 2020 election, did you fill out a ballot, in part or in full, on behalf of a friend or family member, such as a spouse or child?”, 21% of respondents who said they voted by mail answered “yes.”Filling out a ballot for someone else is illegal in all states, although many states allow people to assist others with voting.Additionally, 17% of mail-in voters said they voted “in a state where you were no longer a permanent resident.” Seventeen percent of mail-in voters also admitted to signing a “ballot or ballot envelope on behalf of a friend or family member.”Both voting in a state where you are no longer a permanent resident and forging a signature on a ballot or ballot envelope are fraudulent activities that invalidate votes, when caught by election officials.More than 43% of 2020 voters cast ballots by mail, the highest percentage in U.S. history.Further, 10% of all respondents — not just those who said they voted by mail — claimed that they know “a friend, family member, co-worker, or other acquaintance who has admitted … that he or she cast a mail-in ballot in 2020 in a state other than his or her state of permanent residence.”Eight percent of all respondents said “a friend, family member, or organization, such as a political party” offered them “pay” or a “reward” for agreeing to vote in the 2020 election.The poll of 1,085 likely voters was conducted from November 30 to December 6, 2023. Among those surveyed in the poll, 33% were Republicans, 36% were Democrats, and 31% were “other”; 32% were 18-39 years old, 46% were 40-64 years old, and 22% were 65 or older.In an an all-caps post to Truth Social, Donald Trump called this “the most important poll released in the past 20 years.”“That means that the election was a giant scam. You cannot have a fair and honest election as long as there are mail in ballots. Cheating will always be prevalent. France, and other countries, have stopped the madness. The Republican Party must do something now!!!” Trump urged.Heartland employees agreed the findings were significant. Justin Haskins, director of Heartland’s Socialism Research Center, said the responses were “nothing short of stunning.”“For the past three years, Americans have repeatedly been told that the 2020 election was the most secure in history. But...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.“A democratic republic cannot survive if election laws allow voters to commit fraud easily, and that’s exactly what occurred during the 2020 election. 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.”Jack McPherrin, a research editor and research fellow at Heartland said the implications for 2024 were more important than for 2020.“While many might—perhaps rightfully—attempt to use these results in an effort to vindicate Donald Trump’s claims of voter fraud and subsequently relitigate the 2020 election, it is more important to look forward than backward.”Chris Talgo, editorial director and research fellow at Heartland, said the results were vindication for some.“[M] any experts warned that massive mail-in voting could result in widespread voter fraud. Unfortunately, these concerns were prophetic,” Talgo said.“The past few presidential elections have been razor-thin, and signs point to 2024 being another closely contested election. It is paramount that the American people have the utmost confidence that all elections are free and fair, and bereft of voter fraud as much as possible. Therefore, states should ensure their voter rolls are up-to-date and accurate, encourage in-person voting, and implement commonsense measures to reduce the potential for mail-in voting fraud.”
A poll by The Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports found one-in-five voters who cast mail-in ballots during the 2020 presidential election admit to participating in at least one kind of voter fraud.When asked, “During the 2020 election, did you fill out a ballot, in part or in full, on behalf of a friend or family member, such as a spouse or child?”, 21% of respondents who said they voted by mail answered “yes.”Filling out a ballot for someone else is illegal in all states, although many states allow people to assist others with voting.Additionally, 17% of mail-in voters said they voted “in a state where you were no longer a permanent resident.” Seventeen percent of mail-in voters also admitted to signing a “ballot or ballot envelope on behalf of a friend or family member.”Both voting in a state where you are no longer a permanent resident and forging a signature on a ballot or ballot envelope are fraudulent activities that invalidate votes, when caught by election officials.More than 43% of 2020 voters cast ballots by mail, the highest percentage in U.S. history.Further, 10% of all respondents — not just those who said they voted by mail — claimed that they know “a friend, family member, co-worker, or other acquaintance who has admitted … that he or she cast a mail-in ballot in 2020 in a state other than his or her state of permanent residence.”Eight percent of all respondents said “a friend, family member, or organization, such as a political party” offered them “pay” or a “reward” for agreeing to vote in the 2020 election.The poll of 1,085 likely voters was conducted from November 30 to December 6, 2023. Among those surveyed in the poll, 33% were Republicans, 36% were Democrats, and 31% were “other”; 32% were 18-39 years old, 46% were 40-64 years old, and 22% were 65 or older.In an an all-caps post to Truth Social, Donald Trump called this “the most important poll released in the past 20 years.”“That means that the election was a giant scam. You cannot have a fair and honest election as long as there are mail in ballots. Cheating will always be prevalent. France, and other countries, have stopped the madness. The Republican Party must do something now!!!” Trump urged.Heartland employees agreed the findings were significant. Justin Haskins, director of Heartland’s Socialism Research Center, said the responses were “nothing short of stunning.”“For the past three years, Americans have repeatedly been told that the 2020 election was the most secure in history. But...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.“A democratic republic cannot survive if election laws allow voters to commit fraud easily, and that’s exactly what occurred during the 2020 election. 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.”Jack McPherrin, a research editor and research fellow at Heartland said the implications for 2024 were more important than for 2020.“While many might—perhaps rightfully—attempt to use these results in an effort to vindicate Donald Trump’s claims of voter fraud and subsequently relitigate the 2020 election, it is more important to look forward than backward.”Chris Talgo, editorial director and research fellow at Heartland, said the results were vindication for some.“[M] any experts warned that massive mail-in voting could result in widespread voter fraud. Unfortunately, these concerns were prophetic,” Talgo said.“The past few presidential elections have been razor-thin, and signs point to 2024 being another closely contested election. It is paramount that the American people have the utmost confidence that all elections are free and fair, and bereft of voter fraud as much as possible. Therefore, states should ensure their voter rolls are up-to-date and accurate, encourage in-person voting, and implement commonsense measures to reduce the potential for mail-in voting fraud.”
