Elon Musk has publicly condemned voting by mail as a flawed system that invites election fraud, yet records show he voted by mail twice while living in California. According to NBC News, Musk cast mail-in ballots in the November 2016 presidential election and the November 2018 midterms.
During his 18 years of voting eligibility in California, Musk’s participation was minimal, with records indicating he only voted in these two elections. Despite becoming a U.S. citizen in 2002, Musk didn’t vote until 2016, when he was 45 years old. He skipped numerous elections, including those featuring Barack Obama, John McCain, and Mitt Romney, as well as all primary and local elections.
Musk’s voter file, obtained through a public records request to the California Secretary of State, also shows that he canceled his California registration in August 2020 before moving to Texas. When asked about his voting history and stance on mail-in ballots, Musk didn’t address his past votes but maintained that mail-in voting is susceptible to fraud, stating, “Voting by mail has been recognized as an invitation to fraud throughout the world.”
Musk has been vocal on his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), about his concerns with mail-in voting, claiming it undermines election integrity. However, his comments often mix misleading information with falsehoods, such as asserting that widespread mail-in voting was not allowed before the COVID-19 pandemic—a claim that contradicts established voting practices in many states, including California.
Despite Musk’s criticisms, California records show that the majority of voters used mail-in ballots in both elections where Musk participated—58% in 2016 and 65% in 2018. The state now practices universal mail-in voting, with ballots sent to all registered voters in advance.
Although Musk has since moved to Texas, where he voted absentee in the 2020 election, it remains unclear if he mailed in his ballot. His own Super PAC, America PAC, has even promoted absentee voting, encouraging swing-state voters to apply for absentee ballots in states like Wisconsin.
Musk isn’t the only high-profile figure to criticize mail-in voting while using it. Former President Donald Trump has also voted by mail, despite frequently attacking the practice. Musk has endorsed Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
As Musk continues to make headlines for his political opinions and social media posts, his voting history adds a layer of complexity to his public stance on election integrity.
