In 2020, during the COVID epidemic, a number of states used the health crisis to allow unprecedented widespread mail-in voting. The Carter-Baker Commission in 2005 warned that mail-in voting would lead to greater voter fraud. Millions of Americans believe that fraud did occur. There has been a chorus of media mavens and legal eagles who repeatedly claim that questioning the fairness or legality of an election is not permitted. There has been an effort to censor those who raise questions about the validity of the 2020 election. And one of the indictments of President Trump seeks to criminalize his claims of voter fraud.
JDFI was reminded this week of an extraordinary poll conducted in December 2023 by Rasmussen Reports and the Heartland Institute, a right of center think tank. The poll took the unique approach of simply asking voters if they engaged in various things in 2020's election that were illegal.
Those polled were asked whether they voted in a state where they were not a legal resident. An astonishing 17% said "yes." In addition, 21% of mail-in voters said they filled out a ballot for someone else, and 17% admitted they forged a signature on someone's ballot "with or without their permission," all violations of election law.
This poll isn't the only one raising serious questions about voter fraud. Pollster Scott Rasmussen (no longer associated with Rasmussen Reports) surveyed American elites earlier this year. Among this group of "elite" individuals (those who make more than $150,000 a year, live in big cities and have post-graduate degrees), 35% said they would rather win elections by cheating than lose fairly. Among those elites who discuss politics every day and are "politically obsessed," 69% said they would cheat to win an election. Reacting to these findings, Rasmussen said, "I've been polling for a very long time and the last finding is the most terrifying poll result I've ever seen."
Since 2020, a number of states have tightened voter requirements in an effort to combat fraud. But JDFI believes not enough is being done. Simple reforms such as requiring an ID to vote would go a long way in restoring confidence. The public overwhelmingly supports voter ID. The resistance by many progressives to this simple reform adds to the suspicion that our elections are being compromised.
