The Cato Weekly Podcast How Hard Is It to Rig an American Election?
Sep 22, 2026
Walter Olson, a Cato Institute legal scholar specializing in election law and civil liberties, examines why fraud claims dominate headlines. He explores mail-in voting, voter ID, rare noncitizen voting, foreign influence, and the limits of voting-machine conspiracies. The conversation also spotlights election reforms, low-level violations, and how misinformation can erode trust in democracy.
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Slow Counts Fuel False Fraud Claims
- Slow, state-by-state counting makes legitimate elections appear suspicious even when courts and experts find no fraud.
- Comparing voter databases captured at different times can falsely suggest that votes exceed registered voters.
Dead Voters On Rolls Without Dead Votes
- Outdated voter rolls can damage public confidence without demonstrating that anyone cast an unlawful ballot.
- Walter Olson’s friend found deceased former residents still registered in his apartment building, but found no evidence they had voted.
How Florida Rebuilt Its Election System
- Florida transformed its election administration after the 2000 Bush-Gore recount exposed poor ballot design and other failures.
- Bipartisan officials studied stronger practices elsewhere and turned Florida into one of the better-performing states.