Starlink Election Fraud Allegations Reveal Democrats Aren’t Exempt from Conspiracy Theories

After the 2020 election, then-President Donald Trump and his supporters proposed numerous theories to rationalize his defeat, one of which was known as “Italygate.” This theory alleged that Italian military satellites had manipulated American voting machines to shift votes from Trump to Joe Biden. Despite being unfounded, it garnered attention to the extent that Christopher Miller, the Acting Secretary of Defense, engaged with U.S. officials in Rome to investigate the claims. Additionally, Mark Meadows, then-White House Chief of Staff, reached out to the Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen to look into the matter. Like many of Trump’s assertions, Italygate lacked any factual basis. Fast forward to the 2022 elections, and a similar narrative emerged from the opposing political camp, signifying a persistent trend of conspiracy theories proliferating in the wake of electoral defeats.

One prominent theory emerged from the TikTok user Etheria77, who claimed in a widely viewed video that swing states utilized Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet to assist in vote tabulation—a function for which the terminals are not designed. Etheria77 emphasized that there was no need for voting machines, which have consistently been capable of counting votes without external internet connectivity, to be linked to the web. While the original TikTok video was removed, the conspiracy rapidly spread across social media platforms, prompting major news outlets to address the unfounded claims. In contrast to the baseless narrative, experts clarified that while some election officials employed Starlink for improved internet access at rural polling places, the terminals were never utilized for counting or transmitting votes.

Several credible sources reassured the public that voting machines are predominantly not connected to the internet, effectively debunking claims related to Starlink interference in the electoral process. The Associated Press elaborated that some jurisdictions allow ballot scanners to transmit unofficial vote totals after the voting concludes and when the memory cards with the tallies have been securely removed. Experts specializing in election integrity, like David Becker and Pamela Smith, further dismissed notions of Starlink affecting the outcome of U.S. elections, highlighting that robust physical evidence substantiated the election results, and satellite systems couldn’t alter this factual framework.

Interestingly, Elon Musk’s involvement in the elections has rendered him a target for accusations from certain political factions. Having spent a significant amount of money backing Trump’s campaign and propagating unverified theories regarding Dominion voting machines, Musk epitomizes a figure of suspicion for some. Even as conspiracy theories continued to gain traction within the media sphere, it was essential to remember that there remained no evidence indicating widespread electoral fraud linked to Starlink or any other entity. This scenario reflects a broader pattern: while individuals from diverse political backgrounds might indulge in conspiracy theories following damaging electoral outcomes, they fundamentally differ from the organized efforts previously observed during Trump’s presidency.

Notably, the progression of conspiracy theories from abstract doubts immediately following electoral defeats has evolved into elaborate narratives implicating major figures like Musk. Reports indicated a surge in conspiracy theorizing related to election fraud on various social media platforms. Users questioned the legitimacy of electoral processes, such as why Starlink participated in vote counting and narrated futuristic scenarios imbued with skepticism. These expressions of distrust offer a striking contrast to the organized federal-level resistance to the 2020 election results, indicating that the inclination to fabricate explanations for disappointment spans both sides of the political spectrum.

Ultimately, political narratives involving conspiracy theories proliferate as reactions to electoral failures, regardless of their originating side. The events surrounding the 2020 election and the subsequent claims emerging post-2022 indicate that the susceptibility to conspiracy narratives is a widespread phenomenon, not exclusive to any one party. This pattern of thinking reveals a fundamental human behavior: when faced with unfavorable outcomes, many individuals seek to rationalize their experiences, often turning to conspiracy theories in lieu of accepting the reality of the situation. Such reactions indicate a deeper societal issue where misinformation can proliferate, influencing public opinion and altering perceptions of democratic integrity across party lines.