Claims of voter fraud have been at the forefront of election politics since President Donald Trump’s first term in 2016. While there have been many claims, there have been few confirmed cases.
"Voter fraud is a phenomenon," former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer said. "The statement that voter fraud isn’t a big thing is used as a straw man."
In 2020, over 3.4 million ballots were cast in Arizona. Of those, only two cases of voter fraud occurred, according to data from the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.
“I think we always need to talk about it from a fact-based analysis and with context on the overall voting system and how many people are voting," Richer said.
He said an over-exaggeration of election fraud could have ugly manifestations.
“Jan. 6 is obviously the most poignant example of people doing things they otherwise wouldn’t have done, but for a false belief that elections are easily manipulated," Richer said.
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Find everything you need to know about elections in Arizona and Maricopa County from KJZZ's politics team. -
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