Elon Musk waded into controversial waters during his first solo town hall in Pennsylvania, promoting debunked 2020 election conspiracy theories. Speaking to voters in the Philadelphia suburbs, Musk urged support for Donald Trump in the upcoming election while delivering a series of false claims about the integrity of the previous presidential race.
In response to a question about alleged cheating in the 2020 election, Musk suggested that mail-in ballots without proof of citizenship enabled voter fraud. However, election experts maintain that voter fraud is extremely rare and that built-in safeguards are designed to catch any irregularities when they do occur.
Musk also pointed to Dominion Voting Systems, inaccurately implying that their voting machines contributed to election irregularities in Philadelphia and Maricopa County, Arizona. Despite his claims, Dominion does not provide services to Philadelphia County. The city uses machines from Election Systems & Software (ES&S), according to Verified Voting, which monitors the equipment used in elections across the country.
Musk’s insinuation that there were systematic issues with the 2020 election results in Pennsylvania and Arizona contradicts statements from officials in both states. Authorities, including both Democrats and Republicans, have repeatedly confirmed that the election results were accurate and verified, showing that President Joe Biden fairly defeated Donald Trump.
While Dominion machines were used in Maricopa County, which encompasses the state’s largest city, Phoenix, audits and hand counts confirmed the accuracy of those machines. Dominion voting systems rely on voter-verified paper ballots, ensuring that the results are transparent and auditable. Experts have reiterated that these facts are not opinions but verifiable through multiple audits conducted after the 2020 election.
Musk, echoing Trump’s repeated demands, also called for a full transition to paper ballots, advocating for a system where votes are hand-counted. He expressed distrust in computer systems, despite being known as a leading technologist. Musk argued that relying solely on paper ballots is the only way to ensure election integrity. However, experts have pointed out that more than 98% of US voters already cast ballots in jurisdictions with auditable paper trails, rendering Musk’s suggestion redundant.
The town hall marked a continuation of Musk’s trend of amplifying factually challenged narratives on his social media platform, X, where he has regularly shared debunked pro-Trump conspiracy theories. His comments at the event reflect a broader pattern of spreading misinformation about the 2020 election, despite legal challenges and audits consistently proving the election’s legitimacy.
Musk’s statements regarding election equipment and voting methods were swiftly dismissed by Dominion and ES&S. Both companies emphasized that the claims are not factual and do not align with verified data. As the 2024 election approaches, the spread of such conspiracy theories underscores ongoing challenges in combatting misinformation around the democratic process.
