Synopsis
Disproven: My Unbiased Search for Voter Fraud for the Trump Campaign, the Data That Shows Why He Lost, and How We Can Improve Our Elections by Ken Block is a detailed account of the author’s experience as a data analyst hired by the Trump campaign to investigate claims of voter fraud in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Block, a technology entrepreneur, software engineer, and founder of Simpatico Software Systems, brings his expertise in voter data analytics to the forefront, offering an insider’s perspective on the chaotic efforts to challenge the election results. The book, published in March 2024, combines a narrative of his investigation with a critical examination of the U.S. election system, ultimately concluding that no evidence of widespread voter fraud existed to alter the outcome of the 2020 election. It also provides a roadmap for improving the integrity and efficiency of future elections. The narrative is both a personal journey and a call to action, grounded in Block’s commitment to factual analysis and his unique position as a trusted professional tasked with a politically charged mission.
The book begins with Block recounting how, just two days after the 2020 election, he received an unexpected call from Alex Cannon, an attorney for the Trump campaign, hiring him to investigate allegations of voter fraud. Block, who had previously run for governor of Rhode Island and founded a centrist political party, saw this as an opportunity to audit a presidential election with significant resources. He approached the task with an impartial mindset, aiming to produce findings that could withstand legal scrutiny. The campaign’s requests came at a relentless pace, often late at night or early in the morning, as Block and his team analyzed voter data across swing states, examining claims of deceased voters, double voting, and other irregularities. Despite the pressure, Block was given autonomy to conduct his work without predetermined expectations, a point he credits to Cannon’s professionalism. His analysis, which included reviewing over 21 million voter records and cross-referencing data with sources like the Social Security death index, found only minimal instances of fraud—such as bipartisan cases of duplicate voting by individuals with multiple residences or votes cast by deceased individuals. However, these were far too small in scale to impact the election’s outcome in any state.
Block’s investigation revealed a stark contrast within the Trump campaign. While some lawyers, like Cannon, sought due diligence, others, including Rudy Giuliani, appeared more focused on filing lawsuits to cast doubt on the election rather than verifying claims. Block debunked numerous allegations, such as a widely circulated claim of 700,000 double votes in Wisconsin, which he traced back to a misleading post on a website called TheDonald.win. His findings, which were kept confidential by the campaign because they did not support the narrative of a stolen election, showed that Joe Biden’s victory was legitimate. Block also draws on data from other sources, such as Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Trump’s pollster Tony Fabrizio, to argue that Trump’s loss stemmed from alienating moderate Republicans, with one in six Republican voters in swing states voting against him. This data-driven explanation underscores the book’s subtitle, emphasizing that Trump’s defeat was due to voter behavior rather than fraud.
Beyond the investigation, Disproven critiques the broader U.S. election system, highlighting its reliance on thousands of disparate, error-prone voting systems. Block argues that the lack of standardized, high-quality voter data makes it nearly impossible to definitively prove or disprove fraud claims, as illustrated by the challenge of identifying unique voters across databases with common names like “John Smith.” He notes that while the 2020 election accurately reflected the will of the majority, systemic vulnerabilities—such as outdated voter rolls and inconsistent state practices—pose risks to election integrity. The book’s final section is particularly compelling, as Block proposes nine actionable reforms to strengthen the electoral process, including better data management, standardized voting systems, and increased transparency. These recommendations, praised by reviewers as a “roadmap for building a fair election system,” aim to prevent future challenges to election results and restore public trust.
The narrative is enriched by Block’s personal reflections and the broader implications of his work, which led to subpoenas from Special Counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in investigations related to Trump’s election interference. Endorsements from figures like former U.S. Attorney General William Barr and Raffensperger underscore the book’s credibility, with Barr calling it a “must-read and a great service to the country.” Written in an accessible style, Disproven avoids dense statistical jargon, making its tables and analyses understandable to non-experts. While some critics argue the title is misleading—Block himself admits in a chapter titled “Can Trump’s Claim of Voter Fraud Through Mail-in Ballots Be Disproven? No” that data limitations prevent absolute disproof—the book stands as a thorough, fact-based rebuttal to unfounded fraud claims. It appeals to readers interested in election integrity, political transparency, and the behind-the-scenes dynamics of a pivotal moment in American democracy.