Abstract
Even in countries that like to promote themselves as paragons of democracy, claims of voter fraud often gain considerable attention. However, the evidence base for such claims is often unclear at best and based on little more than hearsay and unfounded claims. Such claims are often partisan and aimed at promoting certain interests at the expense of others. Lorraine Minnite examines these issues in the US. She argues that there is a myth of voter fraud in modern American elections. She carefully defines voter fraud, suggesting that it is ‘the intentional, deceitful corruption of the electoral process by voters. Intent to commit fraud is essential; it distinguishes fraud from error’ (p. 36). She provides a well-argued rational choice calculus both for why individual voters might commit fraud and for why partisan organisations make allegations of voter fraud. She argues that while voters have little rational incentive to commit voter fraud, partisan organisations most certainly do have incentives to foment the impression of such fraud. She tests claims of voter fraud with actual evidence. Most accusations in practice relate to errors in electoral administration, which is complicated by the complex and often contradictory nature of federal and state electoral laws. Some voters fall foul of such complexity, yet this is far from proving intent to commit extensive voter fraud. Such cases, however, allow partisan groups to claim the need to tighten electoral laws further – often by introducing largely irrelevant identity requirements – thus increasing further the complexity and potential for confusion.
Minnite is clear in assessing the consequences of these allegations. She argues that they are fomented primarily by Republican groups. The consequence is that minority groups and the underprivileged have their democratic right to vote increasingly and systematically restricted. Of course, these groups tend to vote Democrat. There is thus a highly partisan edge to what are unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. Minnite has written an urgent and important book in exposing the myth of voter fraud. While it examines the US case, it is of much broader relevance in highlighting what is a problem in numerous democracies. If representative democracy means anything, it is vital that every vote is counted and that groups of voters are not systematically excluded. Going to the heart of this issue, the book is therefore highly recommended and deserves a wide audience not only among political scientists and commentators but also among electoral administrators.