Photo courtesy of Center for Democracy and Technology
St. Ambrose students say they largely felt that the voting polls were secure and untampered with and cheating on that scale would be hard to pull off.
An SAU junior who wanted to remain anonymous said, “I don’t think it would be possible to rig the election on that scale. Trump won by so many votes it wasn’t even close. I don’t understand why people even claim there is voter fraud when somebody is winning by that much unless they are just upset he won.”
Along with the claims of voter fraud in 2020, Americans saw fraud claims in the 2024 election. According to BBC News, “Trump himself claimed widespread fraud in a key swing state. ‘Pennsylvania is cheating, and getting caught, at large scale levels rarely seen before,” Trump posted on his Truth Social network. ‘REPORT CHEATING TO AUTHORITIES.’ Law Enforcement must act, NOW!’”
The BBC continued, “The allegation followed officials in three Pennsylvania counties saying they were working with local law enforcement to investigate some voter registration applications for potential fraud.” Overall, as the New York Times reported the claims of fraud made by Trump, they waned as it became clear he would win.
Another SAU student who also wanted to remain anonymous stated, “ I really don’t have any doubts about the security of the polls. I feel like they really ramped up the security of the poll centers this year because of the last election.”
Hailee Pembleton, an SAU biology major pre-PA, said, “I have no doubts about the integrity of the polling systems, although I find it hard to believe that every last single vote is accounted for, especially after the ballot drop box arson that was happening.”
Another student who also wanted to remain unnamed said, “Honestly, I feel like voting and the whole process is secure in the states that require ID to vote, but in the states that don’t require ID, I don’t think it is secure.
As it stands, many of these claims are just claims. Brennan Centre, a nonprofit law and public policy institute, states, “Extensive research reveals that fraud is very rare, voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent, and many instances of alleged fraud are, in fact, mistakes by voters or administrators. The same is true for mail ballots, which are secure and essential to holding a safe election amid the coronavirus pandemic.”
The resurgence of voter fraud claims in the 2024 election echoes the controversies surrounding the 2020 election. Despite assertions from figures regarding widespread cheating, evidence supporting these allegations remains scarce. As the Brennan Center points out, research indicates that actual instances of voter fraud are exceedingly rare, often resulting from simple mistakes rather than intentional wrongdoing. This highlights the importance of grounding discussions about election integrity in verified data rather than unfounded claims. As investigations proceed in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, it is crucial for officials to focus on maintaining transparency and ensuring that the electoral process remains secure and trusted by the public.
Jacob Sosnowski is a staff writer for The Buzz.
