Claims that tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite technology was used to manipulate the 2024 US election results have been circulating on social media. These conspiracy theories suggest that Starlink, a satellite-based internet service provided by Musk’s SpaceX, played a role in altering votes, particularly in swing states, to benefit Donald Trump. Some users on platforms like Threads pointed to anomalies in the election results, claiming that voters in swing states voted Democrat for down-ballot candidates but chose Trump for president, suggesting an unlikely discrepancy. Some posts even claimed that Starlink satellites were destroyed to cover up the manipulation.
Starlink recently made headlines for its efforts to provide internet access in areas affected by hurricanes, which some conspiracy theorists have used as further “proof” of the system’s role in rigging the election. For instance, one post suggested that Russian hackers were involved, using Starlink terminals provided to Florida, Georgia, and several other states as part of hurricane recovery efforts.
However, these claims have been thoroughly debunked by election security experts. There is no evidence that Starlink was used to manipulate votes in any way. As Mike Rothschild, a journalist and conspiracy theory expert, pointed out, the theories about Starlink’s involvement are not based on its technical capabilities but rather on Musk’s ownership of the company. Such claims reflect broader frustrations and misunderstandings about election outcomes.
Election security experts, including Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), have reported that there was no malicious activity impacting the security or integrity of the election. In fact, state officials from swing states like North Carolina, Georgia, and Michigan clarified that election equipment was not connected to the internet during voting, making any internet-based interference highly unlikely. North Carolina’s state law even prohibits election equipment from being connected to the internet.
In addition, systems like risk-limiting audits and certification of results make it nearly impossible for tampered vote counts to go unnoticed. Even if an attack were attempted, multiple checks and verification processes would prevent the modification of vote totals.
Despite some unsubstantiated claims about Starlink’s involvement in election-related activities, evidence of its use in elections is minimal. While Starlink technology was used in a few rural areas like Tulare County, California, to connect pollbooks to voter databases, it was not used for vote tabulation. This reflects Starlink’s limited role in election infrastructure.
The notion that a Starlink satellite explosion on November 10 was linked to election manipulation is equally unfounded. The satellite’s reentry and subsequent breakup were part of normal operations for SpaceX’s satellite management. These types of satellite reentries have been happening regularly for years, and the event in question had no connection to election tampering.
while claims about Starlink’s involvement in the 2024 US election are sensationalized and baseless, they reflect ongoing fears and misinformation surrounding election security. As experts continue to emphasize, the integrity of the election was upheld by secure processes and careful monitoring, leaving no room for such manipulations.