New Delhi: In a surprising turn of events, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has voiced strong opinions against the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in elections. Musk made a bold statement on Saturday, advocating for the complete elimination of EVMs, citing their vulnerability to hacking by both humans and artificial intelligence (AI).
Musk took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to share his thoughts. “We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, although small, is still very high,” he wrote. This remark was made in response to a post by U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who highlighted concerns about EVM irregularities.
What Did Kennedy Say?
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., running for the U.S. presidency, referenced an Associated Press report in his original post on X. He revealed significant issues with electronic voting machines during Puerto Rico’s primary elections, where numerous voting irregularities were discovered. Kennedy pointed out that the presence of a paper trail allowed for these issues to be identified and corrected.
“Hundreds of voting irregularities related to electronic voting machines were revealed in Puerto Rico’s primary elections. Fortunately, there was a paper trail, so the problem was identified and the vote count was corrected,” Kennedy wrote.
He further emphasized the potential dangers in areas lacking a paper trail. “What will happen in jurisdictions where there is no paper trail? American citizens need to know that every vote of theirs has been counted and their elections cannot be hacked. We need to return to paper ballots to avoid electronic interference in elections.”
Kennedy’s concerns align with Musk’s perspective, underlining a growing skepticism about the reliability and security of electronic voting systems. The debate continues as both influential figures call for a shift back to paper ballots to ensure the integrity of the democratic process.
