All topics

Elections & voting

Fraud, machines, and mail-in ballots.

“The 2020 election was stolen.”

"Your relative believes fraud or manipulation changed the winner of the 2020 presidential election."

What's actually true

Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and no credible evidence showed fraud or irregularities sufficient to change the outcome. Recounts and audits in contested states upheld the results, including Georgia’s statewide hand audit. Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, said the Justice Department had not found fraud on a scale that could have changed the outcome. Some lawsuits were dismissed on procedural grounds; others failed on the evidence.

Where they have a point

Election security and transparent counting matter, and isolated errors or illegal votes deserve investigation. Changes to voting procedures during the pandemic also raised genuine policy disagreements—but those disagreements are not evidence that the election was stolen.

Say this (15 seconds)

I agree that every legal vote should count. But recounts and audits upheld the outcome, and even Trump’s Justice Department found no fraud that could have changed it. Biden won.

Then ask

Which specific claim about the election do you find most convincing, and would you be open to looking at what investigators found?

Sources

Pass the gravy (exit line)

We don’t have to settle everything over dinner. Who’s ready for pie?

“Voting machines flip votes.”

"Your relative is claiming that voting machines change votes from one candidate to another."

What's actually true

Voting equipment can malfunction, and setup or reporting mistakes do happen. But those problems are not evidence that machines routinely or secretly switch votes to rig elections. In the 2020 election, recounts, audits, and investigations did not substantiate claims of widespread machine-driven vote switching. Paper ballots and voter-verifiable paper records allow officials to check electronic totals independently.

Where they have a point

They’re right that voting technology shouldn’t require blind trust. Security testing, paper records, and meaningful audits are important safeguards, and credible reports of errors deserve investigation.

Say this (15 seconds)

Machines can have problems, so checking them matters. But the claim that they secretly switched votes to rig the 2020 election didn’t hold up. That’s why paper records and audits are important.

Then ask

Was there a particular incident you heard about that we could look into together?

Sources

Pass the gravy (exit line)

We can leave the machines there for now. Who gets the deciding vote on dessert?

“Mail-in voting is full of fraud.”

"Your relative is saying that fraud is widespread in mail-in voting."

What's actually true

Mail-in ballot fraud has happened, but documented cases are rare, and the evidence does not support calling it widespread. States use safeguards such as voter eligibility checks, ballot tracking, and signature verification or other identity checks, though the rules vary. A real exception was North Carolina’s 2018 congressional election, where an absentee-ballot scheme led officials to order a new election.

Where they have a point

Ballots cast outside a polling place need strong protections against coercion, theft, and tampering. It’s reasonable to want those safeguards—and actual violations—taken seriously.

Say this (15 seconds)

Fraud can happen, and it should be investigated. But documented mail-ballot fraud is rare—not evidence that the whole system is rotten. The fair question is whether the safeguards work, not whether any system is perfect.

Then ask

Is there a particular case or part of the mail-in process that worries you most?

Sources

Pass the gravy (exit line)

Anyway, we don’t have to run the election board tonight. Who wants more potatoes?