Trump offers €1 million reward for US voter‑fraud tips amid midterms

President Donald Trump has announced a $1 million (£750,000) reward for anyone who reports voter‑fraud cases in the United States that lead to a conviction.

Speaking ahead of the 3 November midterm elections, Trump claimed that cheating in postal voting and voting by non‑citizens is “rampant”. He has urged Congress to pass legislation that would restrict mail‑in voting to people who are disabled, ill, serving in the military or travelling, and to require photo ID and proof of citizenship for all voters.

Studies, however, show that such fraud is extremely rare. The Brookings Institution examined the 2016‑2022 elections and found an average of about four fraudulent postal votes per 10 million ballots. A Heritage Foundation database recorded 325 convictions for postal‑ballot fraud over the past 20 years. An American Statistical Association study of eight states that send mail ballots to all eligible voters found no evidence that mail voting increased fraud risk.

Trump’s executive order directing the US Postal Service to deliver ballots only to citizens on government lists was rejected by the US Supreme Court as “arbitrary and capricious”. Critics warn that stricter ID rules could suppress turnout, as many Americans lack a national ID that confirms immigration status.

Source: BBC News. Photo: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels.