People deposit their mail-in ballots for the presidential election at a ballot collection box in Phoenix on Oct. 18, 2020. Photo: Robyn Beck AFP via Getty Images
Arizona county election officials found 182 cases of potential voter fraud out of more than 3 million ballots cast in the 2020 presidential election, AP reports.
Why it matters: The news organization's finding undercuts former President Trump's claims of a "rigged" election. AP's findings also align with studies showing that voter fraud is rare.
The big picture: The 182 cases of potential voter fraud were referred to investigators for further review, while only four cases have led to charges and there are no convictions, per AP. No person's vote was counted twice.
- 11 out of the 15 counties sent to local prosecutors reported no potential cases of voter fraud. The majority of cases identified involve people casting a ballot for a relative who had died or people who tried to cast two ballots.
- Cases flagged by officials involved a ballot cast after someone had died, including three voters in Yavapai County who face felony charges for casting ballots for spouses who died before the election.
- In Arizona, President Biden won 10,400 more votes than Donald Trump out of 3.4 million ballots cast, per AP.
What they're saying: “The fact of the matter is that election officials across the state are highly invested in helping to ensure the integrity of our elections and the public’s confidence in them,” said Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, per AP. “And part of that entails taking potential voter fraud seriously.”