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Fact check: How many voter fraud cases were prosecuted in the 2020 election compared to 2024?
Executive Summary
Available records in the provided sources do not support a precise, nationwide head‑to‑head count of voter‑fraud prosecutions in the 2020 versus 2024 election cycles. Aggregate, multi‑state tallies exist for 2016–2020 (306 convictions across 37 states), while the materials for 2024 show only individual prosecutions reported in 2025 and state‑level examples, so no reliable nationwide comparison can be drawn from these sources alone [1] [2] [3].
1. What claimants say — big numbers for 2016–2020 but silence on 2024
The clearest numeric claim in the supplied material is a multi‑state summary reporting 306 voter‑fraud convictions across 37 states between 2016 and 2020, with 151 tied to federal races; that provides a baseline for the earlier period but does not break out 2020 alone [1]. The other 2016–2020 items focus on state‑level referrals and reports — Wisconsin municipal clerks reported 238 possible cases, and prosecutors received 158 referrals — yet both emphasize that few referrals led to criminal convictions and many apparent problems were administrative errors rather than intentional fraud [4] [5]. These three sources together show data depth for 2016–2020 but leave 2020 as part of a broader multi‑year total [1] [4] [5].
2. What the 2024 evidence in these records actually shows — isolated prosecutions, not totals
The materials from 2025 document prosecutions tied to the 2024 cycle, including Michigan cases of double voting in the 2024 primary and a separate prosecution related to poll‑worker fraud spanning years up to 2024. A Michigan man who voted twice in the 2024 primary received probation in October 2025, and a St. Clair Shores defendant pleaded guilty to double voting in the 2024 primary earlier in late 2025 reporting [2] [3]. These entries demonstrate prosecutions did occur for 2024‑cycle misconduct, but the sources report only individual cases rather than an aggregated count for 2024 nationwide [2] [3].
3. Why the sources don’t permit a direct 2020 vs 2024 tally
None of the supplied analyses provide a consolidated, nationwide number for prosecuted or convicted voter‑fraud cases in the 2024 election cycle; the 306 figure covers 2016–2020, and the 2024 coverage consists of case reports in 2025 rather than a comprehensive dataset [1] [2] [3]. State reports highlighted the rarity of convictions and the prevalence of administrative error, which complicates equating referrals, investigations, prosecutions, and convictions across cycles. Different metrics are in play (referrals vs. convictions vs. sentences), and the supplied material lacks consistent methodology to compare years reliably [4] [5].
4. State‑level vs. national data — caution about extrapolation
Wisconsin material shows many possible cases reported to clerks and prosecutors but a small number reaching criminal conviction, underlining that volume of referrals does not equal convictions [4] [5]. Using Wisconsin’s pattern to infer national trends risks error because local administrative practices, prosecutorial discretion, and reporting standards vary widely. The supplied Michigan reports show prosecutions for 2024 in that state, but these cannot be scaled to a national verdict without additional, systematic data collection. Inference across jurisdictions is unreliable given the available evidence [4] [5] [2] [3].
5. What the timing of reporting indicates about 2024 prosecutions
The 2024‑cycle prosecutions in the supplied sources appear in news reports published in late 2025, reflecting typical delays between alleged misconduct, investigation, charging, and disposition. A Michigan double‑voting case prosecuted and reported in October 2025 illustrates that post‑election legal activity can trail the election by months or years, so contemporaneous counts shortly after an election will undercount ultimate prosecutions and convictions. This lag complicates year‑to‑year comparisons unless both cycles are examined with comparable follow‑up timeframes [2] [3].
6. Multiple viewpoints and possible agendas in the materials
The 2016–2020 compilation emphasizes a numerical total that can be used to argue that fraud exists in measurable numbers, while the Wisconsin reports stress rarity and administrative error, presenting a counterpoint that many allegations do not reflect intentional crime [1] [4] [5]. The 2025 case reports show prosecutors pursuing individual instances of double voting, which supports the view that authorities act on violations. Readers should note that aggregates and anecdotes serve different rhetorical roles and that selective citation of either can be used to advance divergent narratives about election integrity [1] [4] [2].
7. Bottom line and what would be needed for a definitive comparison
From the supplied sources, the only robust aggregate is 306 convictions for 2016–2020 across 37 states; for 2024, the record contains only isolated prosecutions reported in 2025 and state‑level anecdotes, insufficient for a direct national comparison [1] [2] [3]. A definitive 2020 vs 2024 comparison would require standardized, nationwide datasets that disaggregate referrals, prosecutions, and convictions by election year and publish cutoffs with comparable follow‑up windows. Without that consistent methodology, any headline comparing totals would be incomplete and potentially misleading [1] [4] [5] [2] [3].