Tech billionaire Elon Musk has once again stirred up controversy by criticising California’s recent legislation that prohibits local governments from mandating voter ID requirements. Following governor Gavin Newsom‘s signing of the bill into law, Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his disapproval.
The new law prevents local authorities from requiring residents to present valid identification in order to cast their vote.In his post, he expressed his concerns about election security and voter fraud, stating, “Wow, it is now illegal to require voter ID in California! They just made preventing voter fraud against the law. The Joker is in charge.”
His comment quickly generated a flurry of responses, with some supporting his viewpoint while others criticized his stance.
Users shared their apprehensions about the new legislation. One user wrote, “Democrats don’t even hide stealing elections anymore,” while another questioned, “If you need a driver’s license to drive a car, why wouldn’t you need an ID to vote in an election?”
In support of Musk’s position, a user commented, “The only reason. The only reason that you would ban voter ID is because you want to cheat. Period”.
However, another user countered this argument, saying, “Nah. New Zealand doesn’t require voter identification to vote or to enroll. It’s not “to cheat”. It’s to make voting as accessible as possible. If you call “allowing everyone who is legally able to vote, to vote as easily as they can” a form of ‘cheating’, well…”.
Some users resorted to sarcasm and humour to address the situation. One user quipped, “Things that are illegal in California: Voter ID, Memes, Common sense,” while another jokingly asked, “So we can vote, fly to California & vote again?”
Musk, who has publicly endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the upcoming election, is renowned for his candid opinions on various social and political matters.
California governor Gavin Newsom enacted a new law that prohibits local authorities from mandating voters to show identification when casting their ballots. The legislation was introduced to counter conservative initiatives in municipalities such as Huntington Beach.
The signing of this bill comes as a direct response to the contentious voter ID requirement implemented in Huntington Beach, which was approved by the city’s voters in March.