Currently, the U.S. is experiencing a good deal of controversy regarding the recent presidential election. The claims include: charges of voter fraud, counting irregularities, backdating of ballots, illegal electioneering at the polls, and software errors affecting vote tabulation totals. All these claims will likely be examined by various federal and state courts to determine their validity. These disputes have the effect of causing many to doubt the veracity of the election process in the United States.

Some people may be under the impression that charges of fraud, error and malfeasance are unique to this past election. However, there is an unfortunate and long tradition of similar issues in American elections. One famous American politician seems to have been both a victim and the culprit in two separate elections.

Lyndon Baines Johnson, LBJ, is one of the more colorful figures in American politics. Both friend and foe alike have credited Johnson with being a skilled politician. Johnson had a remarkable ability to charm and also coerce others into carrying out his political will.

Johnson’s elected political career began in Congress as an FDR New Deal Democrat when he won a special election in 1937, and Johnson’s career in the House was largely successful. He championed rural electrification in his district, and through his appointment to the Naval Affairs Committee LBJ was able to steer government contracts to businessmen who would later become important campaign donors.

In 1941, Johnson became even more ambitious. A U.S. Senate seat became open and Johnson decided to seek the Democratic nomination. Johnson ran against a popular Texas entertainer and then sitting governor, W. Lee “Pappy” O’Daniel.

On election night, and through the next day Johnson was unofficially proclaimed the winner by the media. However, O’Daniel’s campaign was not over. Unexpectedly and suspiciously, previously uncounted ballots were found which favored O’Daniel. While many disputed the result, and felt fraud had occurred, O’Daniel won the race by a mere 1,311 votes.

Johnson never forgot the lesson he learned in 1941 in the rough and often unfair world of politics. In 194m8 Johnson was once again a candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. On election night, it appeared that Johnson had once again lost. It appeared that his opponent, Coke Stevenson, had won by a very slim margin. However, similar to what happened in 1941, a ballot box in the 13th precinct in Alice, Texas, mysteriously produced undiscovered votes for Johnson that swung the vote margin to the future president. Johnson, to celebrate his victory, even went so far as to have himself photographed with local Democrats and the infamous Ballot Box No. 13,

An investigation of the possible ballot fraud in Precinct No. 13. However, despite the evidence discovered, the result of the election was not overturned by the courts. Johnson went on to serve in the U.S. Senate until he was elected as vice president.

Despite his election win in 1948, LBJ was always shadowed by Ballot Box No. 13 in Alice, Texas. Robert Caro, a Pulitzer Prize winner and biographer of Johnson, pointed out the Ballot Box No. 13 scandal always adversely colored LBJ’s political career.

LBJ’s election controversy is not unique, and not limited to Texas Democratic primaries, or the 2020 presidential election. According to research performed by the Heritage Foundation, in the U.S. there have been 1,298 verified cases of voter fraud in American elections before the 2020 general election. The report comes with map where users to see each individual case of voter fraud

Dan Cravens is the Bingham County Republican Central Committee chairman.