Voter interference and problems in the 2024 election: Recent incidents

There have been incidents of voter interference in the run-up to Election Day 2024, following allegations of interference in the last two presidential elections.

The last few weeks of early voting have been largely normal, with some isolated problems, and officials say they are confident the election will be safe and fair.

Donald Trump's continued refusal to accept his defeat in the 2020 election has led to a rise in concern about widespread voter fraud, which has been repeatedly debunked but may still play a role in this election. While a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll in October found that nearly 8 in 10 voters said they trusted the vote count, that trust was higher among Kamala Harris supporters than Trump supporters.

Here's what we know about recent election interference claims, incidents of violence, and what officials say about election security.

National and international attempts at interference and allegations

U.S. intelligence officials said Russia distributed several fake videos as part of a disinformation campaign to apparently try to help Trump win the election. In one of the videos, Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff were accused of tipping off now-indicted music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs about a raid in exchange for a bribe.
The Trump campaign accused Britain's ruling party of interference after the party admitted that staffers were campaigning for Harris. Federal Election Commission rules say it's legal for foreigners to volunteer in U.S. elections as long as they don't receive compensation.
Election officials and lawmakers fear delays at the U.S. Postal Service could prevent thousands of ballots from being counted this year in what could make for an extremely close presidential race. “Voters should never have to worry about whether their ballot will be postmarked on time or whether their ballot will arrive at their vote center in time to be counted,” said Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio.

Arizona: Voter registration ballot damaged

In Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix, 30,000 to 40,000 voter registration forms were returned damaged. Others were returned incomplete, but those people may still be able to cast a provisional vote on Election Day. However, some registration forms were damaged so badly that they could not be processed, which may mean those voters are unable to cast their ballot.

Violence in Florida: machete threats, attacks on women aged 65 and over

An 18-year-old Florida man was arrested Oct. 29 after officials said he waved a machete at two women on the opposing political side. The local Democratic Party said he arrived with a group waving Trump flags and the women waved signs supporting Harris.
A 17-year-old boy wearing a shirt with a picture of Trump was arrested in Stuart, Florida, on Saturday after police said he allegedly punched a 70-year-old woman who was attending a rally in support of Harris .

Georgia: Video Showing Haitians Voting for Harris Twice Deemed False, Russian Interference

A viral video purports to show someone claiming to be a recent immigrant from Haiti and a friend who voted for Harris twice in Georgia. According to a statement from US law enforcement and intelligence agencies, “Russian influence actors” were behind this video.
After approximately 3,200 requested ballots were processed late, Cobb County, Georgia was directed to continue accepting mail-in ballots postmarked at 7:00 p.m. EDT on Election Day, November 5, and before 5:00 p.m. EDT on November 8 , arrive.

Iowa: Poll workers are allowed to challenge ballots of those on an incorrect non-citizen list

A federal judge sided with the state of Iowa on Sunday and decided to allow election workers in Iowa to challenge the ballots of more than 2,000 Iowa residents who were marked as potential noncitizens and require them to provide additional information when casting a provisional ballot steps to take.

Michigan is warning non-citizens that voting results are public after a rare incident

A Chinese national studying at the University of Michigan who was not named by officials is facing charges for allegedly illegally casting an irretrievable vote. The student registered to vote on Oct. 31 using a school ID card and signed a document stating he was a U.S. citizen, the Michigan Secretary of State's office told the Detroit News. Officials in Michigan have not said whether the vote has any connection to foreign election interference attempts. “Make it clear: Voting results are public – any non-citizen who attempts to vote fraudulently in Michigan puts themselves at great risk and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and federal prosecutors of Washtenaw County Eli Savit said in a statement: “Non-citizen voting is an extremely isolated and rare event.” Research in several states and across the country has found no evidence that large numbers of non-citizens are voting Registered to vote. It’s even rarer for a non-citizen to actually cast a vote.”

Oregon: Officials say three ballots burned in arson

Pennsylvania: Election video considered fake, Russian interference

Virginia: Eligible voters are included in a delayed voter list purge

Washington officials say at least 6 out of 500 damaged ballots were unidentifiable

Police in Vancouver, Washington, bordering Oregon, responded to another arson at a ballot box shortly after the incident in Portland. Nearly 500 ballots were damaged in the Vancouver fire because the fire suppression system failed. Election officials are sending new ballots to affected voters, but about six could not be identified and others may have been completely burned, they said.

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Kinsey Crowley is a featured news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley.