Electoral College and Election Fraud

One frequently overlooked aspect of the U.S.-style electoral college system is that it discourages election fraud. In a presidential election based on popular vote, competing parties are motivated to manipulate votes in areas where they have the most significant influence, such as states where they control local executive offices, legislatures, and the judiciary. With the electoral college, the incentives for fraud shift to swing states where the local government is politically divided, and fraud is therefore more difficult and riskier. An increase in polarization makes fraud more likely but does not affect the fraud-protection advantage of the electoral college. Similarly, the single-member district electoral system provides better protection against election fraud than proportional representation.