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In the wake of the recent presidential election, a surge of denialism and conspiracy theories has once again emerged on various social media platforms. While false claims about voting have historically been associated with right-wing circles, similar misinformation is now gaining traction among some supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris. NewsGuard, an organization dedicated to combating misinformation, reported that nearly 800 social media accounts and video channels have propagated false or misleading information about the 2024 election since September 1. Additionally, over 960 websites and more than 1,200 partisan platforms disguising themselves as neutral local news outlets have joined in spreading these fallacies.

Sam Howard, the U.S. politics editor at NewsGuard, highlighted that misleading election narratives have spread across multiple platforms, including X, Threads, Reddit, and Facebook. Both political factions have contributed to this misinformation frenzy. For instance, Republicans alleged "irregularities" in the Wisconsin U.S. Senate election, whereas some Democrats speculated that Trump's victory was orchestrated with the aid of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet, a theory for which no evidence exists.

NBC News identified numerous videos and posts on platforms like TikTok and X, reaching over 10 million viewers, that perpetuated conspiracy theories involving Musk, Starlink, and election tampering. NewsGuard firmly stated that there is no evidence to support claims that Starlink interfered with the election process. Voting systems are not interconnected, and there is no substantiated proof of any manipulation of vote tallies by Starlink or Musk.

Max Read, a senior research manager at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, observed that this newfound left-wing election denialism, while not as widespread or organized as that on the right, represents the most significant effort thus far from this side of the political spectrum. The infrastructure and support are notably less robust compared to the right, where a vast network of media outlets and social media influencers have facilitated the spread of denialist narratives. Additionally, while conservative election denialism has at times escalated to violent rhetoric, liberal rhetoric has not reached this level of intensity.

Howard emphasized that the majority of left-wing accounts spreading false election claims are relatively obscure compared to the established right-wing figures who amplified misinformation after the 2020 presidential election. Some left-wing theories have, in turn, provided fodder for right-wing accounts to revive old election myths. For example, comparing the recent election results to those of 2020, some right-wing commentators have claimed it validates their belief that the 2020 election was stolen.

In a statement on X, Jen Easterly, director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, assured that there was "no evidence of any malicious activity" affecting the security or integrity of the election infrastructure. Similarly, the FBI debunked a fabricated video alleging it had received thousands of complaints about malfunctioning voting machines.

While platforms like TikTok and X have moderated some posts containing misinformation in alignment with their policies, other claims have persisted. For example, some left-wing users suggested that Kamala Harris might still claim victory, citing changes on fundraising websites and speculated recount efforts, using hashtags like "#Trumpcheated" and "#DoNotConcedeKamala."

Ultimately, as Max Read noted, people often seek simple answers in times of crisis or disappointment, leading them to embrace misleading narratives. Whether this surge in left-wing election denialism is a fleeting moment or a sign of deeper entrenchment in misinformation remains to be seen.