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Voter Fraud in the US is Extremely Rare, Despite False Claims by Trump and Allies
Despite repeated false claims by former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 election was stolen, voter fraud in the United States is exceedingly rare, according to election officials and experts from both political parties. While instances of voter fraud do occur, the nation’s decentralized and multilayered election system is designed to detect and prevent such activities, making large-scale election manipulation nearly impossible.
Voter fraud can involve illegal actions such as casting multiple ballots, tampering with votes, or using a deceased person’s identity to vote. All of these are criminal offenses carrying significant penalties. However, the robust safeguards in place across the country’s thousands of independent voting jurisdictions make it difficult to organize fraud on a scale that could alter the outcome of an election, especially in high-stakes presidential races.
Each state in the US has its own set of voting laws, and these laws typically include measures to verify the identity of voters. For in-person voting, many states require photo identification or other forms of verification, while absentee and mail-in voting are secured through processes like signature matching and ballot tracking. Additionally, federal laws require regular updates to voter lists, which help ensure that voter rolls are accurate and up-to-date.
Although Trump and his supporters have repeatedly claimed that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election, investigations in multiple states have found very few verified cases. A comprehensive review by the Associated Press of potential fraud in the six battleground states contested by Trump found fewer than 475 cases out of millions of ballots cast. This number is far too small to have impacted the overall outcome of the election, where President Joe Biden won by a margin of 311,257 votes across those key swing states.
Many allegations of voter fraud have turned out to be false or based on misunderstandings, such as voters accidentally submitting multiple ballots or mismatches in signatures due to illness. Even some of the rare instances of fraud were found to have been committed by Trump supporters, further undermining claims of widespread manipulation against him.
Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results have largely failed. His legal team’s attempts to challenge the results were rejected in court, with several of his lawyers facing disbarment and defamation lawsuits from voting technology companies and election workers who were harassed over baseless fraud claims. Trump himself is currently facing criminal charges in Georgia, where he is accused of pressuring state officials to “find” enough votes to overturn the election results in his favor.
Despite these attempts, the integrity of the 2020 election remains upheld, with experts continuing to emphasize the rarity of voter fraud in the United States.
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Russia Demands SWIFT Reconnection as Condition to Revive Black Sea Initiative
Russia has set forth a key demand for the restoration of the Black Sea Initiative—reconnecting its Agricultural Bank, Rosselkhozbank, to the SWIFT financial system. This request, which falls under the jurisdiction of the European Union (EU), comes amid ongoing negotiations between global powers on the war in Ukraine.
Partial Ceasefire and Black Sea Security Agreement
Following recent talks in Saudi Arabia, the United States announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a partial ceasefire specifically covering energy facilities. While this fell short of the broader ceasefire pushed by former President Donald Trump, the parties also agreed on measures to ensure the safe navigation of commercial vessels in the Black Sea and to prevent their use for military purposes.
However, the Kremlin quickly detailed additional conditions, demanding the lifting of sanctions on food exports, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, and cargo insurance. Most notably, Russia is insisting that Rosselkhozbank and other financial institutions involved in agricultural trade be reinstated on SWIFT, a global messaging system that facilitates secure financial transactions.
EU’s Role and Sanctions History
SWIFT, headquartered in Belgium, falls under EU regulations. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU removed several Russian banks from SWIFT in 2022, including Sberbank, Credit Bank of Moscow, and Rosselkhozbank. The exclusion was a significant blow to Russia’s financial system, as it restricted the country’s ability to conduct international transactions.
Rosselkhozbank, a state-owned institution, plays a critical role in facilitating payments for Russia’s agricultural exports, a major revenue source through the global sale of wheat, barley, and corn. While the EU has not directly sanctioned Russian agricultural exports, the banking restrictions have complicated payments for these transactions, leading to the collapse of the initial Black Sea Initiative brokered by Turkey and the United Nations.
Diplomatic Tensions and Uncertain Outcomes
The demand to reinstate Rosselkhozbank puts the EU in a difficult position. Granting this request could signal a willingness to make concessions, potentially encouraging Russia to seek further sanctions relief. However, refusing it could provoke tensions with the Trump administration, which is eager to secure a ceasefire.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has consistently opposed easing sanctions, arguing that they must remain in place until Russia ends its military aggression. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed this stance, stating that sanctions would only be lifted after Russia takes concrete steps toward peace.
As EU sanctions require unanimous renewal every six months, any member state could disrupt the process. Hungary, which has previously expressed opposition to sanctions, could leverage this situation to push for changes when restrictions are up for review on July 31.
Future of SWIFT and Global Financial Pressures
While the EU holds the power to reinstate Rosselkhozbank’s SWIFT access, the U.S. could signal leniency by ensuring that those engaging with the bank avoid legal repercussions. Analysts suggest that Russia’s demand may be a strategic move to test both Washington and Brussels, pressuring the EU to reconsider its stance on financial restrictions.
For now, the EU remains firm in its approach. France has indicated that sanctions should remain unless Russia agrees to a full ceasefire, reparations, and security guarantees for Ukraine. However, with negotiations ongoing and international pressure mounting, the debate over SWIFT and broader sanctions relief is unlikely to fade anytime soon.
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