Claims of rigged election and large-scale voter fraud re unfounded, SMU law expert says

By Krystina Martinez and Rick Holter

In the past week, Donald Trump has suggested the United States election system is rigged as he continues sliding in the polls. The accusation, along with news of a potential voter fraud investigation in Tarrant County, has raised questions about the security of our elections process. 

SMU law professor Grant Hayden explained why voters don't need to worry. 

…On claims of “large-scale” voter fraud:

“There’s almost no evidence for large-scale voter fraud. Justin Levitt [of] Loyola [School of Law, Los Angeles] looked at elections throughout the United States through a ten-year period in which 1.2 billion votes were cast and he only found 31 instances of possible voter impersonation fraud that he couldn’t rule out, so he couldn’t claim that there was actual voter impersonation fraud, he just couldn’t rule it.”

…On the rules on election monitoring:

“Most every state has pretty good regulations on voter monitors. They limit the number, you often times have to register to be a voter monitor. If you’re not a monitor, you’re usually supposed to stay a certain distance away from the polling place so you can’t harass voters.

It is a danger, because you don’t want people walking around, intimidating potential voters by doing things like taking pictures of them, asking them where they live. Virtually anything can scare off a voter.”

Read the full story or listen to the interview.

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