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Greg Abbott's Pants on Fire voter fraud claim sparked our No. 8 fact check

Greg Abbott, shown here in 2015, made a Pants on Fire claim about voter fraud in 2016 (Eric Gay, The Associated Press). Greg Abbott, shown here in 2015, made a Pants on Fire claim about voter fraud in 2016 (Eric Gay, The Associated Press).

Greg Abbott, shown here in 2015, made a Pants on Fire claim about voter fraud in 2016 (Eric Gay, The Associated Press).

By W. Gardner Selby December 27, 2016

In his second year as governor, Greg Abbott landed at No. 8 among the year’s most-clicked Texas Truth-O-Meter fact checks when he said voter fraud was rampant.

Really?

Abbott, reacting to a poke by President Barack Obama at mandates to present photo IDs at the polls, told reporters in March: "The fact is voter fraud is rampant--and in Texas, unlike some other states and unlike some other leaders, we are committed to cracking down on voter fraud."

If the state’s former attorney general had the goods on such rampant fraud, he kept ‘em secret. Best we could tell, in-person voter fraud--the kind targeted by the Texas voter ID law--remains extremely rare, making Abbott’s claim incorrect and ridiculous, PANTS ON FIRE!

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Greg Abbott's Pants on Fire voter fraud claim sparked our No. 8 fact check