Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, responding to criticism from President Barack Obama about strict voting laws in Texas, contended such restrictions were necessary to combat fraud.

“The fact is that voter fraud is rampant,” Abbott said. “In Texas, unlike some other states and unlike some other leaders, we are committed to cracking down on voter fraud.”

Voter fraud is “rampant” in Texas? Really?

Well, no. In fact, almost the reverse is true. In the past five years four cases of in-person voter fraud have been prosecuted. That number comes from an in-depth study conducted by Rutgers University professor Lorraine Minnite.

Fact-checking website Politifact, which called Abbott’s claim “ridiculous,” found that as of last year, there had been 85 election fraud cases resolved in Texas since 2002, with 51 pleas and nine convictions. Twenty-five persons were exonerated.

The fact is there have not been enough fraudulent votes in any one election to make a bit of difference. We don’t like the fact even one has occurred and certainly want the state to be diligent, but no one is in office, or has been denied office, because of voter fraud.

No matter how you parse those figures, they do not equal “rampant” fraud and Abbott knows that full well. This is just another example — and there have been too many — of how Abbott is willing to say just about anything to pander to the Republican base.

This has been our greatest disappointment with this governor. We thought Abbott would have more political courage than this. As it turns out, he does not.

Abbott’s statement about “rampant” voter fraud came in response to a charge from the president that Texas leaders are not interested in increasing our state’s low voter turnout. Obama suggested online registration as a possible tool.

Abbott rejected that notion, then offered no ideas about how to increase the number of eligible voters at Texas polls.

State officials should be embarrassed by this but apparently are not.

Leaders in a democratic society should hope for the most participation possible. But instead of searching for ways to increase turnout, our governor and other state leaders pop off inaccurate statements to make it appear more crackdowns are needed, that we’re surrounded by people itching to perpetrate fraud at the polls.

That’s nonsense.

If Abbott can’t stick to the whole truth he ought not say anything at all. It would be better to be remembered as Texas’ most boring governor than the one willing to say anything just to get re-elected.