FACT FOCUS: Election officials knock down Starlink vote rigging conspiracy theories
False posts circulating on social media claim that billionaire Elon Musk facilitated alleged election fraud through his internet service provider Starlink, manipulating the vote count, particularly in swing states, through election equipment such as ballot tabulators
By BY MELISSA GOLDIN
Published - Nov 12, 2024, 06:06 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:28 PM EST
As President-elect Donald Trump begins filling key posts in his second administration, social media users are pushing false claims that the 2024 election was rigged in his favor.
One such narrative claims that billionaire Elon Musk facilitated the alleged fraud with his internet service provider Starlink, manipulating the vote count through election equipment such as ballot tabulators. Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk's SpaceX company, uses satellites to offer high-speed internet, even in remote areas.
Some rural counties used the technology during the 2024 race to access their electronic poll books.
Here's a closer look at the facts.
