# Americans want tougher fraud penalties for mail-in voting

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/culture/americans-want-tougher-fraud-penalties-for-mail-in-voting/

> Indexed question in Culture.

## Reading

If they could make only one change to how mail-in voting works in their state, Americans lean toward enforcement first: 37% prefer increasing criminal penalties for submitting fraudulent ballots, ahead of any other single change, in a Verasight survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted March 6-16, 2026.

A quarter (25%) would rather have states notify voters of ballot problems so they can fix them before rejection, and 23% prefer requiring mail ballots to be received, rather than just postmarked, by Election Day. Providing more funding and training for election offices that process mail ballots draws the least support, at 16%.

## Topline

If your state could make one change to improve how mail-in voting works, which would you prefer?

Americans want tougher fraud penalties for mail-in voting.

- Increase criminal penalties for submitting fraudulent ballots: 36.8%
- Notify voters of ballot problems so they can fix them before rejection: 24.7%
- Require mail ballots to be received, rather than just postmarked, by Election Day: 22.9%
- Provide more funding and training for election offices that process mail ballots: 15.7%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2026-03-06 → 2026-03-16
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.6%
- Module: Module 4: Identity, Politics, & Social Trust
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-4-22](https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-4-22)

## Citation

Verasight Client Omnibus Survey #2026-044, fielded March 6-16, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.6%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-4-22](https://reports.verasight.io/r/omnibus-2026-044#q-4-22)