Republican Presidential candidate Donald J. Trump has made it clear how little he trusts the election system, calling it “rigged” and refusing to state whether or not he would support the outcome if he were to lose. Although many tote Trump’s comments as “sour grapes,” they should be considered seriously, for voter fraud goes against the fundamental principles of democracy.
In the modern age, where nearly 30% of votes are cast before the election, many electronically, it is necessary to assess issues such as voter fraud and be sure to squash any attempts at rigging the system. Many voters ask why fraud has not been brought up as an issue in other recent elections?
The answer – voter fraud is NOT a serious problem, and is actually an extremely unlikely occurrence.  Recent studies show that voter intimidation tactics are actually much more common than voter fraud. In many states, new laws make voting harder for the average low income American. For example, Milwaukee now forces voters to use photo IDs when registering to vote. This law will prevent over 300,000 Americans from voting early in Wisconsin due to their lack of knowledge of new voter regulations.  
In a recent news article on the popular website thenation.com, Judge Lynn Adelman went as far to say that “It is absolutely clear that Act 23 (the new voting law) will prevent more legitimate votes from being cast than fraudulent ones.” Wisconsin resident Zack Moore, a 34-year old, African-American, brought his out-of-state driver’s license (he had recently moved to Wisconsin), social security card,  and proof of Wisconsin residency with him to the registration office but was still denied the right to a Wisconsin Voter Card.
In 2000, the election between Democratic Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush came down to just a few hundred votes in Florida. Even after such
a narrow loss, Gore, the standing vice-president, accepted the results and refrained from language such as “rigged” or “unfair.” He did so because the
United States election is the most documented and monitored election on Planet Earth, and he knew that it was the duty of the loser to yield and allow
the nation to come together in support of the new president.
The idea of deliberately refusing to accept a losing result is wrong and proves how little Mr. Trump cares about the way US democracy has been practiced
over the last two centuries. Preserving the gravity and seriousness of the voting process is a bipartisan issue that has been sacrosanct throughout the history of this great nation.  

Fair and equal voting is a privilege for all Americans including Donald Trump, and his criticism of the American system is disrespectful, childish, and downright irresponsible.  It is the job of thousands of volunteers and hardworking individuals to ensure voting fraud does not happen, and that all processes are fair and unbiased. Therefore, it is essential the focus of the election switch from Trump’s “sore loser” tactics and return to the fundamental issues of the campaign.

With less than two weeks until the election both candidates should and must put their best feet forward and prove to this country and the world, they are ready to take the highest office in the land. Issues such as emails, Wikileaks, and the treatment of women are important matters, but the sole question Americans must ask themselves on November 8th is: which candidate will do a better job of preserving  American rights, practices, and interests!