More than 20% of voters who used mail-in ballots in Biden’s 2020 win say they engaged in fraud

A brand new survey made the startling discovery that 1 in 5 voters who used mail-in ballots within the 2020 presidential election admitted to committing some sort of voter fraud.

In an election the place about 43% of voters used mail-in ballots, which is the very best share in U.S. historical past, 21% instructed the pollsters they crammed out a poll, partly or in full, for a buddy or member of the family.

That is prohibited in all states.

Additionally, the survey by the conservative Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports discovered that 17% of mail-in voters mentioned they voted in a state the place they not lived completely, and one other 17% mentioned they signed a poll or poll envelope for a buddy or member of the family.

These acts are fraud and would trigger the ballots to be invalidated if caught.

“The results of this survey are 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 if this poll’s findings are reflective of reality, the exact opposite is true,” mentioned Justin Haskins, the director of the Socialism Research Center on the Heartland Institute.

“This conclusion isn’t based on conspiracy theories or suspect evidence, but rather from the responses made directly by the voters themselves,” he mentioned.

The survey bolstered opponents of widespread mail-in voting who say it’s an invite to election fraud.

Hans von Spakovsky, a senior authorized fellow on the Heritage Foundation and the supervisor of the assume tank’s Election Law Reform initiative, mentioned that mail-in ballots are the “most insecure way of voting.”

“They are the only kind of ballot voted outside supervision of election officials, outside the observation of poll watchers, so there’s nothing to prevent individuals from being coerced or pressured to vote in a particular way,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing to prevent them from — spouses for example — filling out their husband’s or wife’s ballot. And most states simply don’t have the kind of security provisions in place that would help deter some of this conduct.”

The ballot additionally discovered that 10% of these surveyed, together with those that didn’t vote by mail, mentioned they knew somebody who admitted to casting a mail-in poll in 2020 to a state the place she or he didn’t reside completely. Another 8% mentioned {that a} buddy, member of the family or group reminiscent of a political celebration supplied some sort of reward for agreeing to vote within the 2020 election.

Mr. von Spakovsky famous that the push for mail-in ballots has largely come from the political left.

“Absentee or mail-in balloting used to be a very small percentage of voting, anywhere from 5 to 10% in most states, but there was such a huge push for it during the COVID pandemic and now it’s up to almost 50% of all votes are passed through the mail,” he mentioned. “And it’s because there are a lot of people pushing this, and I think they’re making a mistake pushing it.”

No-excuse absentee or mail-in voting — versus absentee voting for the infirmed or Americans overseas — has develop into a partisan subject. Republicans warn it threatens election safety. Democrats laud it as increasing entry to voting.

In the 2020 presidential election, 58% of voters who backed Democrat Joseph R. Biden mentioned they used mail-in ballots, in comparison with 32% of President Trump’s voters who mentioned they used mail-in ballots, in accordance with Pew Research Center.

Mr. Trump railed towards mail-in voting and discouraged his supporters from utilizing it within the 2020 election.

Proponents of no-excuse argue that it makes voting extra accessible and safeguards can stop fraud.

Expanding mail-in voting throughout the U.S. was part of House Democrats’ sweeping election overhaul invoice handed in 2021. The effort died within the Republican-run Senate that 12 months.

Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the highest Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, didn’t again off his assist of mail-in voting when confronted with the Heartland survey outcomes. “People should vote legally, that’s all I can say,” he mentioned.

Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission and associate at Wiley Rein LLP, Michael Toner, mentioned mail-in ballots seemingly can be used much less in 2024 than in 2020. But he mentioned it should nonetheless be a “very important” a part of campaigns.

“I think we’re going to see a sea change because the GOP has really decided they got to get with the program in terms of early voting and mail-in balloting because they weren’t nearly as active in encouraging their supporters to do early voting and mail-in balloting in 2020 as the Democrats,” he mentioned. “And they really paid the price for that.”

He mentioned Republicans will ramp up their messaging to get supporters to solid their votes earlier than election day.

“There are still a lot of concerns among conservatives and conservative Republicans on the security of the mail-in ballot process, but it’s here to stay,” he mentioned. “Once you give voters additional options on how they cast their ballots, it’s practically impossible to roll back those new avenues.”

James Taylor, president of the Heartland Institute, mentioned that the survey outcomes level out the “importance of implementing forward-looking fixes to election rules and procedures that currently allow and encourage fraud.”

“Regardless of what one’s views are on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, Americans deserve an election system that is undeniably transparent and immune from mischief,” he mentioned.

• Alex Miller contributed to this story.