FBI Obtains IP Address of South Carolina Online Voter in Fraud Investigation

IP addresses have played many roles in determining user location. However, the precious data may have found yet another role: determining voter fraud.

In an exclusive report, Axios revealed that the “FBI recently obtained the IP address of someone who registered online in South Carolina.” This is part of the widening investigation into voter fraud claimed by President Donald Trump. The current US President claimed that the 2020 election, which he lost, was steeped in fraud.

Officials in South Carolina complied with the FBI's request because it did not violate any Federal or State laws.

Online Voter Registration

For context, online voters registration is allowed in most US states. According to Ballotpedia:

“42 states, plus D.C., require that individuals who wish to register to vote online have a driver's license, ID card, or Social Security number. Some states require individuals to provide both their driver's license or ID card number and their Social Security number to register to vote online.”

By obtaining the IP address, the FBI is trying to determine the voter’s registration location. The IP address may reveal that the registration was done outside the state or even outside the country.

The reason for the request is curious given that online registration is allowed even if you are outside the state. However, as previously indicated, registration requires uploading additional information to determine validity.

The request may have stemmed from President Trump’s claim that China may have interfered with the 2020 election. BBC reported that Trump “had declassified hundreds of intelligence files which supported his claims that Beijing had tried to sway the election in Biden's favor.” No evidence was given to support the claim.

Unprecedented with Broader Consequences

Law enforcement use of IP addresses to determine criminal activity is nothing new. However, this is a very uncommon request since it pertains to voter fraud. Using IP addresses as evidence of voter fraud is challenging for the federal government, but it remains an option amid ongoing disputes with individual states. The current administration is in a legal battle with 30 states over the release of voter roll lists.

States may be forced to hand over the IP address of those who registered online. However, the federal government has to request them individually.

IP Address Accuracy and Other Factors

Requesting an IP address to determine a user’s location during online voter registration is a bold move, but it may produce unreliable results. At best, it may provide an approximate user location. According to DNSChecker.org, IP addresses provide  “95% to 99% accuracy at the country level, 55% to 80% at the regional or state level, and 50% to 75% at the city level.”

VPN and proxy servers also pose another challenge. An encrypted connection masks the user's IP address with a standard VPN IP address. More online users are aware of their data privacy and are using VPNs and other services to protect their information.

It remains to be seen what will happen next to the information obtained by the FBI. An IP address may provide a starting point for further investigation, but it does not necessarily identify a single individual, and precise location accuracy is rare.