Fox News host Sean Hannity has frequently referenced Heritage’s Election Fraud Database, citing it as evidence that voter fraud is real and can have dire consequences for the electoral process.  

During an interview with President Donald Trump on Oct. 1, Hannity mentioned the database along with a litany of news stories involving voter fraud across the country. 
 

 “The Heritage Foundation identified 1,285 cases of recent voter fraud, including nearly 1,000 convictions on the issue,” Hannity told Trump. 

This was the second time Hannity and Trump have discussed the database in a live interview.  

Earlier, on Aug. 17, Hannity highlighted the Election Fraud Database as a clear example of the threat voter fraud poses to the integrity of our elections.  

Hans von Spakovsky, manager of Heritage’s Election Law Reform Initiative and senior legal fellow in the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, highlighted the importance of the database, writing in a May 2020 article:   

“Although talk of voter fraud may be increasing because of the stakes in the 2020 election, The Heritage Foundation’s election fraud database has been around for four years. With the addition of our latest batch of cases, we are up to 1,285 proven instances of voter fraud.” 

The Heritage Foundation is just a sampling of voter fraud cases. Because it doesn’t capture all instances of voter fraud, there are other examples that have yet to be captured or included. Heritage created it, von Spakovsky says, to “demonstrate the vulnerabilities in the election system and the many ways in which fraud is committed.” 

He adds: “This sampling of cases illustrates the existence and effect of voter fraud. Most importantly, the public must understand that fraud can occur throughout the entire process of registering and voting.” 

The Heritage Foundation has prioritized election integrity as one of its policy focuses and has produced research to inform the public on the dangers of voter fraud and mail-in voting. Recently, Heritage released a PSA on in-person to inform Americans how to make sure their vote counts.