Holder: 'No proof our elections are marred' in voter fraud

Attorney General Eric Holder dismissed any belief of in-person voter fraud damaging American elections Tuesday evening, a day after the Justice Department blocked Texas' photo voter ID law.

In an interview with NBC Nightly News' Pete Williams, Holder reiterated his previous comments before Congress labeling photo ID laws a "solution in search of a problem" and emphasized the importance of being allowed to vote.

"What were talking here is a constitutional right," he said. "This is not a privilege. The right to vote is something that fundamental to who we are as Americans. We have people who have given their lives, people have sacrificed a great deal in order for people to have the right to vote. It's what distinguishes the United States from most other countries."

"We want to make sure that our elections are free from fraud. But they is no proof that our elections are marred by in person voter fraud."

Despite the existence of some voter fraud, research has indicated that a person is 39 times more likely to be struck and killed by lighting than to commit voter fraud. The same research also found a person is more likely to see a UFO 3,500 times than engage in voter fraud.

WATCH: Video from NBC, which was broadcast on March 13, 2012.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy