Trump Transition Begins Amid Unfounded Election Rigging Claims
As President-elect Donald Trump begins filling key posts for his second administration, social media platforms are awash with unsubstantiated claims alleging the 2024 election was rigged in his favor. These allegations specifically target Elon Musk and his satellite internet service Starlink, falsely asserting their involvement in manipulating vote counts.
The claims suggest that Musk utilized Starlink, a SpaceX subsidiary providing high-speed internet via satellites, to influence election outcomes. While some rural counties did employ Starlink for electronic poll books during the 2024 race, election officials have categorically stated that voting equipment does not use Starlink or connect to the internet.
David Becker, a prominent election security expert, emphasized that Starlink could not have been used to alter election results. He noted that nearly all votes are recorded on paper ballots and audited by hand for accuracy. Some jurisdictions do use mobile private networks for faster unofficial results reporting, but this does not affect the actual vote count.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported no malicious activity affecting election integrity. Despite this, misinformation continues to spread on social media platforms, with posts falsely claiming Starlink was used to rig the election in swing states.
Officials from North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania have confirmed that their voting equipment has no internet connection. State laws and security protocols explicitly prevent such connectivity to ensure vote integrity. For instance, North Carolina prohibits network connections for voting systems, while Georgia’s election equipment is air-gapped to prevent internet manipulation.
While Arizona did run a pilot program using Starlink for poll book synchronization, and California’s Tulare County improved poll site connectivity with Starlink for voter check-in, neither of these applications involved vote counting.
Pamela Smith of Verified Voting dismissed claims of Starlink’s involvement in vote counting, stating that elections produce physical evidence that cannot be manipulated by satellite systems.
As the transition moves forward, election officials and security experts continue to emphasize the multiple layers of security and verification that ensure the integrity of the 2024 election results, categorizing claims of election rigging via Starlink as unfounded and part of broader misinformation efforts.
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