You’re hearing a lot more about election integrity — for a lot of reasons.
Since the 2020 election, the issue has been fueled by the “Big Lie” — the baseless claim still touted by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the election was stolen — and the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol and its aftermath.
Questioning election integrity has also become a political strategy: In the effort last year to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, Republican candidate Larry Elder said he was concerned about fraud and started a website to collect tips even before the votes were counted.
While experts agree that there is no widespread voter fraud and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber told CalMatters there is no evidence of frequent instances, there have been scattered attempts to cheat. In 2020, for example, the California Republican Party admitted placing more than 50 fake ballot drop boxes in Los Angeles, Fresno and Orange counties. In August 2021, during the recall election, a 34-year-old man stole 300 ballots from a Postal Service vehicle in Torrance as part of a bank fraud and identity theft scheme. The ballots, which were unopened, were canceled and new ones sent to the voters.
There are a number of checks and balances to ensure no one can game the system. The Secretary of State’s office and the 58 county election offices say they are working to reassure voters that voting systems are secure.
“I think you have to stay concerned because if you ever get to the point where you’re not concerned and you’re not looking at everything and you’re not listening to everything, then that’s when you end up with a number of problems,” said Weber, who took over as the state’s chief election officer in January 2021.
Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation, said the state has one of the most secure voting processes in the country.
“There’s a big difference between what you might imagine could happen and what actually does happen,” she said. “I’m certainly not hoping that voters will just blindly follow whatever their elections officials say. That’s not how democracy works. But election officials bend over backwards to make the process as transparent and accessible as possible.”
What does ‘election integrity’ mean?
Election integrity is the idea that voting must be free and fair for all. There are federal laws on election fraud, plus requirements in the California constitution.
For example, here are examples of what counts as voter fraud:
- Giving false information when registering to vote, including in the name of someone who is dead.
- Voting, or attempting to vote, despite being ineligible, or helping someone else try to do so.
- Voting or attempting to vote more than once, or using someone else’s name to vote.
- Changing a ballot, if you’re delivering it for someone else.
- Receiving money or a gift for voting.
- Threatening someone to stop them from voting, or to vote a certain way.
Examples of fraud by election officials:
- For a precinct board member to open or try to open a ballot, or mark a ballot to figure out who the person voted for.
- To tamper with a voting machine, or fail to notify the Secretary of State before there is any change to a voting machine.
- Fraud by campaigns and candidates:
Campaigning within 100 feet of a polling place.
- Using taxpayer funds for campaigning.
- Not disclosing who pays for advertisements — TV, radio, online or print.
If you think you spot fraud:
- Report it online to the Secretary of State, or call (916) 657-2166.
- Report campaign ads that don’t say, or have incorrect information, who is funding it to the Fair Political Practices Commission.
What are the biggest voter fraud myths?
Election officials in California and many other states are paying more attention to fighting bogus claims of voter fraud. “We’re in a period of enormous allegations and issues that are brought forward. And so we don’t take any of them lightly,” Weber told CalMatters. “But we try to respond to them quickly so that they don’t spread.”
Here are some of the most common myths:
Voter records
Claims of ballots being sent to the wrong place or to someone who died can fuel rumors of fraud. Logistical mishaps do happen, especially when people move a lot. But there’s a state database that shows whether someone’s ballot has already been submitted in another county. The Secretary of State’s office also updates voter lists regularly, cross-checking them with state and local death records, prison records and address changes.
Ballot design
In last year’s recall election, claims surfaced about whether holes in ballot envelopes could be used to see how someone voted. The holes are to help those with vision impairments know where to sign their ballot. They also help ensure no ballot is left uncounted inside an envelope.
‘Ballot harvesting’
In California, it’s legal for registered voters to designate someone to return their ballot for them, as long as there is no compensation involved. Republicans have opposed the practice, citing a lack of safeguards. That’s where signature verification applies. If the voter’s signature on the ballot and their registration don’t match, the county will reach out to the voter. If someone is caught manipulating ballots, they can be prosecuted.
Vote counting
Voters often encounter misinformation about their ballots not being counted — for example, that provisional ballots are only counted in close races, or that mail ballots are thrown out if they arrive after Election Day. Both are false. You can track your ballot to see that it’s counted.
Voting equipment
During the 2020 presidential election, Trump falsely claimed voting machines made by Dominion Voting deleted “millions of votes” cast for him. There was one known error in Michigan involving a Dominion machine, but it was by an election official.
No voting equipment can be connected to the internet, to ensure cybersecurity. Voting machines in California have higher security standards than the federal government, according to the California Voter Foundation.
