Electoral fraud is the manipulation of the voting process to influence a particular outcome. It can be blatant, such as ballot stuffing, or subtle, such as gerrymandering. Penalties for voter fraud are severe and can include fines, prison time, and loss of the right to vote.
Electoral fraud is the deliberate manipulation of the electoral process by direct or indirect means to influence a particular outcome. The commission of vote-rigging is often illustrated through blatant methods such as improper vote counting, ballot stuffing, and bribery. However, much more subtle methods of electoral fraud include rigging and disenfranchising certain demographics. Electoral fraud is considered one of the most serious types of fraud due to its effects on the political process, and while they vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, the penalties are typically very severe.
The prototypical example of election fraud is that of balloting, the inclusion of fraudulent ballots incorporating a vote for the candidate for whom the fraud should benefit. This is less of a problem in developed nations than in underdeveloped nations because simple supervisory measures can be used to prevent such fraud. The same is true for improper vote counting, as simply using multiple parties to count individual votes and record a count is usually sufficient to ensure an accurate result.
However, even in developed nations, the more subtle means of electoral fraud can be a cause for concern. Gerrymandering, the act of drawing electoral districts to create political advantage for a particular group, can be done by a political body holding power in that jurisdiction. For example, a particular urban area might be populated by poorer citizens who tend to vote more freely than those in suburban areas. If a government agency inexplicably divides this electoral district that includes the urban area into two separate districts that are expanded to include more conservative suburban areas, it could be a case of fraud to the benefit of the local Conservative party.
While disenfranchisement – the denial of the right to vote – is less of an issue in modern times, because the right to vote is almost universally recognized as a fundamental right, it can still be used to indirectly influence the voting population. For example, the disenfranchisement of criminals in the early part of the 20th century in the United States is commonly believed to have been motivated by a desire to undermine African Americans’ voting rights. The alleged rationale was that because a higher percentage of African Americans had been convicted of crimes than Caucasians, the law would have a disparate effect on the African American population’s franchise.
Penalties for voter fraud vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but tend to be more severe than other types of fraud. Depending on the method used, anyone convicted of voter fraud is typically subject to steep fines and prison time. Furthermore, he could permanently lose the right to vote in future elections.
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