Where Elections Are Seen as Fair or Flawed

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this month directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to compile lists of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state. The order also instructs the U.S. Postal Service to send mail ballots only to individuals included on those lists.

More than 20 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia have since filed a lawsuit seeking to block the measure from taking effect. Trump, who recently cast a ballot by mail in a special election in Florida, has repeatedly claimed that the United States faces significant issues with fraud related to mail-in ballots.

However, multiple studies have found that voter fraud in the United States is extremely rare. In global comparisons, the country also scores highly on measures of electoral integrity. According to the 2025 Free and Fair Elections Index, produced by the Varieties of Democracy, the U.S. receives a score of 0.9 out of 1. While 34 countries rank higher - including Belgium, Norway, Australia, Germany and Spain - the U.S. remains among the top performers overall.