Voters at Fargodome in the 2026 Midterm Election, November 3, 2026. (KFGO News Photo / Nate Coen)
FARGO (KFGO) – With President Donald Trump’s repeated claims about voter fraud, particularly in Minnesota, some voters could find themselves worried about the safety of local elections.
But voter fraud is extremely rare, according to Minnesota State Moorhead Political Science Professor Barbara Headrick, who tells KFGO News that claims of false elections are often used to rally supporters.
“It’s a good way to scare people, make them feel like the other side’s trying to steal something from them and so it’s a way to motivate your voters. The way other sorts of issues are used to scare people about some issue or some person,” Headrick said.
Last month, President Trump claimed while making an endorsement of Michelle Tafoya, the republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, that it’s hard to win in the state because democrats cheat in elections. The president went on to say that he’s won Minnesota in all three of his presidential elections, despite voting numbers saying otherwise.
“Those people who want to believe the president when he says democrats cheated will cling to that, but it’s not what’s going to decide this election. This election will be decided by the citizens who show up and vote,” Headrick said.
Headrick stressed that the focus should be on how many are voting in general.
“It’s much more important to try and get more people out, then to worry about a problem that is not really existent, which is people trying to vote who aren’t eligible to vote.” Headrick said.
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong agreed that voter turnout should be a focus.
“I wish we had 100% turnout in North Dakota, so if anybody listening who thinks it’s a hassle or whatever,” Armstrong said, “there’s billions of people on the planet that never get to pick their own leader.”
Governor Armstrong also said he anticipated that while North Dakota republicans would be fine, the national republican party would be asking tough questions after Tuesday’s election.
Headrick agreed, and said voter fraud could be something republicans cling to as an answer.
“This is a sign that republicans are a little bit worried about what might happen Tuesday night in a lot of places around the country. Probably not too worried about North Dakota, but other places I think they are worried about, and they’re trying to find something they can latch onto to generate more votes on their side.” Headrick said.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Federal Election Monitors would be present at locations in all 50 states, including North Dakota’s Cass County. The department says the monitors will be at several locations for about an hour to make sure locations are complying with federal law.
Headrick called it unusual that monitors would be in a place that doesn’t have a history of voter fraud, and maintained that committing election fraud in modern times is extremely difficult.
“Election frauds people want to try and claim are left over from the days where parties have a whole lot more say in running elections, and had a lot more ability to manipulate things, that’s just not possible anymore.” Headrick said.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon wanted voters to know that the federal monitors would not interfere with the midterms.
“These are lawyers, they are not armed officers. They will be in plain clothes. They cannot challenge or disrupt any election activities.” Simon said.
Polls are open in North Dakota and South Dakota until 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. in Minnesota. Voters in line when polls close can still cast their ballots.
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