How many cases of voter fraud were prosecuted in the 2020 US elections?
Executive summary
The short, evidence-based answer: there were dozens to a few hundred investigated or alleged instances tied to the 2020 vote, but confirmed criminal prosecutions and convictions related specifically to altering the 2020 presidential result were very small and did not change the outcome; an Associated Press investigation found just under 475 potential cases in six battleground states, and broader databases and trackers show only dozens-to-low hundreds of convictions across multiple years of elections [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. The direct tally: what the AP counted in six battleground states
The most systematic post‑2020 newsroom accounting came from the Associated Press, which after months of reporting identified “just shy of 475” potential instances of voter fraud across six battleground states that were the focus of post‑election challenges — a total the AP and outlets citing it stressed would not have altered the presidential result [1] [2] [5].
2. Nationwide trackers: databases show many historical cases, but not a widescale 2020 prosecution surge
Long‑running trackers such as the Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database catalogue proven instances stretching back decades and show hundreds or thousands of historical entries, but those compilations mix cases over many years and the Heritage dataset’s own framing and the Brookings analysis underline that to reach large totals the database draws on long timeframes rather than concentrated 2020 prosecutions [6] [7].
3. Convictions and prosecutions: low numbers, varying accounting windows
Reported conviction totals depend on the scope chosen: Newsweek summarized Heritage’s broader inventory as 1,561 instances producing 1,325 convictions across many years, while an independent tracker cited 306 convictions across U.S. elections between 2016 and 2020 — illustrating that convictions occur but are relatively rare and that different projects use different date ranges and inclusion rules [3] [4]. None of the major, post‑2020 studies or court reviews found evidence of widespread fraud that would overturn the election result [1] [8].
4. Lawsuits and criminal cases are not the same thing — courts dismissed the major fraud claims
More than 60 civil or election‑law suits were filed challenging 2020 procedures and results; judges — including those appointed by Republican presidents — repeatedly rejected claims of widespread fraud, and legal defeats do not equate to criminal prosecutions of broad conspiracies [8] [9]. Campaigns and partisans often conflated allegations, civil litigation, and isolated criminal counts; rigorous reporting separated “potential instances” or administrative irregularities from proven criminal acts [1] [10].
5. How to interpret the numbers and where reporting is limited
Taken together, authoritative post‑election reporting shows investigators flagged under 475 potential cases in the most scrutinized battlegrounds and that convictions tied to voting offenses are numerically small relative to tens of millions of ballots — though precise nationwide counts of prosecutions specifically linked to the 2020 presidential contest depend on definitional choices and record completeness; available sources document investigations and isolated prosecutions but do not support claims of mass, coordinated fraud that would change the election outcome [1] [2] [7] [3]. Reporting limitations include inconsistent public reporting across jurisdictions and the fact that some databases aggregate many years, so a definitive single number of “2020‑election prosecutions” nationwide is not available in these sources.