WASHINGTON — Though the issue dominated headlines throughout the 2012 presidential race, voter fraud has, much like the individuals accused of perpetuating it, very swiftly receded from public attention.

For months, America was reminded that the sanctity of its voting system – its defining democratic cornerstone – was under attack. The appalling specter of voter fraud occurring on a massive scale now has politicians and pundits alike swearing that the issue will be dealt with in about three and a half years.

“Look, it’s not that it isn’t still a big problem,” said Representative Joe Walsh of Illinois, who several months ago was a tireless proponent of reform. When asked why the issue wasn’t being dealt with immediately, Walsh explained, “It’s just, uh, not how things are done.”

Some people have criticized the push for stricter voter ID laws as an election time scare tactic. Alejandro Casillas, a recent immigrant from Ecuador who is taking citizenship classes, said, “Voter fraud is at heart a deception that hurts the integrity of the electoral process. It is ironic, to me, that the existence of the controversy itself does exactly that.”

Reporters tried to speak with Mildred Inglesworth, a registered voter from West Virginia who has been dead for ten years, but she was unavailable for comment.