NBC Warned Us in 2012: Mail In Ballots, the Real Vote-Fraud Opportunity

Ah, election integrity—the subject that can get you labeled a “nutjob,” “election denier,” or worse. But why?

Back in 2012, NBC News ran this investigative headline:
“The Real Vote-Fraud Opportunity Has Arrived: Casting Your Ballot by Mail.”
👉 Read the NBC report here

And it’s not just one side raising concerns.

• President Trump, December 2, 2020: “Now we have election days, weeks and months, and lots of bad things happened….”

• Hillary Clinton in 2019: Trump is an “illegitimate president” who “stole” the 2016 election.

• Bush v. Gore in 2000: the infamous “hanging chads” recount ended by the Supreme Court.

• Kennedy v. Nixon in 1960: questions over Chicago machine politics and Illinois’ razor-thin margin.

For at least 85 years, across party lines, there have been concerns about election integrity. Yet today, even raising the issue often earns ridicule.

So let’s ask the question: how do other nations handle elections?

• Ireland, Norway, France: Mail-in ballots are very restricted—usually only for military service, disability, or citizens abroad.

• Ballots: All three nations use paper ballots. France and Ireland count them by hand. Norway scans ballots, but a mandatory hand recount follows.

• Election Day: France and Ireland vote in a single day. Norway allows a short extended period.

• Voter ID: All three require it.

• Technology: France and Ireland abandoned voting machines after public outcry. Norway tested online voting and scrapped it, citing fraud, coercion, and threats to democracy.

Why did these 3 countries turn their back on “cutting edge” technology and not expand mail in ballots?
Because with mail in ballots there is no chain of custody, which is essential for security. Because trust in voting machines is low. Because their citizens demand transparency.

Now, back to NBC’s 2012 warning: mail-in ballots expand opportunities for fraud. The U.S. dramatically expanded mail-in ballot rules in 2010, then made them nearly universal during COVID under the banner of a “national emergency.” That emergency is long gone. It’s time to focus on election integrity.

If we’re serious, we should follow France, Ireland, and Norway:

• Restrict mail-in ballots

• Return to paper ballots with hand counts

• Require voter ID

And one more point for Kansas: it’s time to end “non-partisan” elections. Voters deserve transparency about party affiliation. There is no reason for any candidate to hide their party affiliation….or is there?

Charlotte O’Hara
Republican for Kansas Governor, 2026