Elon Musk Claims India’s Voting Machines Can Be Hacked

Elon Musk has entered the debate over the security of India’s electronic voting machines (EVMs), raising concerns about their vulnerability to hacking. Musk’s comments come amid ongoing political tensions in India regarding the integrity of EVMs.

Musk responded to a social media post by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about voting machine issues in the Puerto Rico primaries, stating: “We should eliminate electronic voting machines. The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high.” This remark sparked reactions in India, where the security of EVMs is a contentious issue.

Former junior IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar countered Musk’s statement, calling it a “huge sweeping generalization…that implies no one can build secure digital hardware.” He noted that Indian EVMs are uniquely designed, secure, and isolated from any network, contrasting them with machines used elsewhere.

Despite this, Musk maintained his stance, asserting, “Anything can be hacked.” Chandrasekhar conceded that while Musk’s general view on hardware and software might be technically correct, it was not applicable to the security of India’s EVMs.

Musk’s comments received support from opposition leaders in India, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav. Gandhi described India’s EVMs as a “black box” and emphasized concerns about transparency and scrutiny, while Yadav cited Musk to highlight the dangers of potential EVM tampering.

In the U.S., the security of electronic voting machines has also been a significant political issue, especially following the 2020 election. Supporters of former President Donald Trump have propagated conspiracy theories about the machines being hacked. Despite extensive investments in election security, no evidence of widespread hacking or electoral fraud has been found. U.S. officials have called the 2020 elections the “most secure in American history.”

In India, the reliability of EVMs is a sensitive political topic. Opposition parties argue that EVM security affects the electoral process’s integrity, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assert that the machines are secure. The Election Commission of India has also defended EVM security amidst criticisms during recent national elections.

Rahul Gandhi, referencing Musk’s comments, stated, “Serious concerns are being raised about transparency in our electoral process. Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability.”

Elon Musk has previously clashed with foreign governments on various policy issues, particularly concerning content moderation on his social media platform, X. His recent involvement in debates about voting machines marks another instance of his global influence on policy discussions.