‘No Evidence’ Of Election Fraud In Battleground States, Statistical Analysis Finds As Trump Continues False Claims

Topline

A new MITRE Corporation analysis of eight battleground states’ election results found there was “no evidence of fraud, manipulation, or uncorrected error”—including involving Dominion voting machines—further emphasizing the presidential race wasn’t “stolen” or fraudulent even as former President Donald Trump and his allies continue to push those claims.

Key Facts

Crucial Quote

“The claim that Dominion machines artificially inflated results to Joseph Biden, Jr.’s advantage is not supported in the election results data,” the researchers wrote.

Key Background

Trump and his allies repeatedly claimed there had been election fraud in battleground states both before and after the November election. Though repeatedly struck down in court and debunked by elections officials—as well as even Republicans like former U.S. Attorney General William Barr—the allegations have gained significant traction among the president’s supporters, with a December Quinnipiac poll finding 77% of Republicans believe there was widespread voter fraud. Trump continued pushing the voter fraud claims in interviews this week after radio host Rush Limbaugh’s death, saying on Fox News Wednesday, “I think we won substantially.” Far-right allies of the ex-president like attorney Sidney Powell and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell have also perpetuated the Dominion conspiracy theory, even as the voting machine company has filed $1.3 billion defamation lawsuits against Powell and attorney Rudy Giuliani and said litigation against Lindell is “imminent.” 

What To Watch For

Republican legislators have used the specter of fraud as justification for introducing more restrictive voting legislation. A recent Brennan Center for Justice analysis found more than 165 such bills have been introduced or are otherwise pending in 2021—four times as many as were introduced this time last year. Dominion, which pointed to the MITRE study Friday as further evidence their machines were not used for fraud, has also said it plans to file additional lawsuits against those who have spread the baseless conspiracy theory about them, including right-wing media networks and potentially even Trump himself.

Further Reading

Data Analytics to Enhance Election Transparency (MITRE)

Trump Is Back To Falsely Claiming The Election Was Stolen From Him (Forbes)

Fox News, Sidney Powell, Giuliani Face Billion-Dollar Defamation Lawsuits—Here’s Who Could Be Next (Forbes)

Trump’s Election Fraud Battle Has Inspired A ‘Surge’ Of Legislation To Restrict Voting: Report (Forbes)

These Are The Voter Fraud Claims Trump Tried (And Failed) To Overturn The Election With (Forbes)