77%

Credible

Post by @elonmusk

77% credible (85% factual, 57% presentation). While the claims about NYC voting rules and ballot layout are factually accurate, the post's framing as a 'scam' is an unsubstantiated exaggeration, reflecting bias and hasty generalization from non-fraudulent ballot features. The presentation sensationalizes minor design elements without evidence of intentional fraud.

85%

Factual claims accuracy

•

57%

Presentation quality

View Original X Post

Analysis Summary

Elon Musk's post alleges the New York City ballot form is fraudulent due to no ID requirement, candidates appearing twice, and Andrew Cuomo's name placement at the bottom right. While no ID is indeed required for voting in NYC and some candidates appear on multiple party lines as per standard ballot design, labeling it a 'scam' is an unsubstantiated exaggeration without evidence of intentional fraud. The image provided is a legitimate sample ballot for the 2025 election, but the claims amplify minor design elements to suggest bias.

Original Content

Factual

Emotive

Opinion

Prediction

The New York City ballot form is a scam! - No ID is required - Other mayoral candidates appear twice - Cuomo’s name is last in bottom right

The Facts

The post contains partial truths about NYC voting rules and ballot layout but sensationalizes them as a 'scam' without evidence of wrongdoing, reflecting the author's bias rather than factual reporting. Mostly false due to misleading framing and lack of substantiation for fraud claims.

Benefit of the Doubt

The post advances a narrative of electoral unfairness to implicitly support Andrew Cuomo's candidacy by highlighting perceived disadvantages in ballot design, aligning with Musk's right-leaning endorsements and criticism of Democratic processes. Key omissions include the standard practice of cross-endorsements causing multiple appearances and the legal, non-fraudulent nature of no-ID voting in NYC, which shapes perception toward conspiracy rather than routine election mechanics. This selective emphasis fosters distrust in the system while ignoring broader context like ballot accessibility for voters.

Visual Content Analysis

Images included in the original content

VISUAL DESCRIPTION

The image shows a multi-page sample ballot form for the New York City General Election on November 4, 2025, photographed on a table. It includes sections for various offices like Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough Presidents, and City Council members, with ovals to mark votes next to candidate names under party columns such as Democratic, Republican, Conservative, Working Families, and others. The ballot is bilingual (English/Spanish) and appears official with seals and instructions.

TEXT IN IMAGE

Official Ballot for General Election to vote both sides. Ciudad de Nueva York Condado de [various counties]. November 4, 2025. Various candidate names across party lines: Democratic, Republican, Conservative, Working Families, Protect Animals, Field of Dreams, Write-in. Mayoral candidates include Zohran Mamdani (Democratic/Working Families), Curtis Sliwa (Republican), Andrew M. Cuomo (Independent), and others like Jumaane Williams, Joseph Hernandez. Other races: Public Advocate, Comptroller, Borough President, City Council with names like Brad Lander, Mark Levine, etc. Instructions in English and Spanish.

MANIPULATION

Not Detected

No signs of editing, inconsistencies, or artifacts; the image appears to be a straightforward photograph of a printed ballot with natural lighting and shadows.

TEMPORAL ACCURACY

current

The ballot is dated November 4, 2025, matching the current election date, and references 2025 candidates like Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, consistent with ongoing NYC mayoral race reports.

LOCATION ACCURACY

matches_claim

The ballot explicitly states 'City of New York' and includes borough-specific sections (e.g., Manhattan, Bronx), aligning with the claim of a New York City ballot form.

FACT-CHECK

The image accurately depicts a real 2025 NYC sample ballot as per official sources from the NYC Board of Elections; candidates like Mamdani appear on multiple lines due to cross-endorsements (standard practice), Cuomo is listed under Independent in a lower section, and no ID requirement is a factual NYC voting rule, but the 'scam' implication is not supported by the visual.

How Is This Framed?

Biases, omissions, and misleading presentation techniques detected

highomission: missing context

Fails to mention that no ID voting is a legal standard in NYC to promote accessibility, multiple candidate appearances result from cross-party endorsements, and name placement follows random or statutory rules without implying bias.

Problematic phrases:

"No ID is required""Other mayoral candidates appear twice""Cuomo’s name is last in bottom right"

What's actually there:

Standard practices for voter access and fusion voting

What's implied:

Intentional fraud to disadvantage Cuomo

Impact: Leads readers to perceive legitimate processes as rigged, fostering unfounded distrust in elections.

mediumcausal: false causation

Implies that the listed features (no ID, duplicate names, position) cause the ballot to be a 'scam,' without evidence of any causal link to fraud.

Problematic phrases:

"The New York City ballot form is a scam! - No ID is required - Other mayoral candidates appear twice - Cuomo’s name is last in bottom right"

What's actually there:

No proven causation; features are procedural

What's implied:

Design elements deliberately undermine fairness

Impact: Creates false narrative of intentional manipulation, exaggerating routine elements into conspiracy.

highscale: cherry picked facts

Cherry-picks isolated ballot design elements while neglecting the full context of election laws and sample ballot legitimacy.

Problematic phrases:

"Other mayoral candidates appear twice""Cuomo’s name is last in bottom right"

What's actually there:

Legal cross-endorsements and randomized positioning

What's implied:

Systemic bias against specific candidate

Impact: Distorts perception of ballot fairness by ignoring broader, non-fraudulent election standards.

mediumurgency: artificial urgency

Exclamation and 'scam' label create false sense of immediate electoral threat from a standard sample ballot.

Problematic phrases:

"The New York City ballot form is a scam!"

What's actually there:

Pre-election sample, no active voting affected

What's implied:

Ongoing fraud requiring immediate alarm

Impact: Prompts reactive outrage over non-urgent, verified processes, amplifying misinformation spread.

Sources & References

External sources consulted for this analysis

https://elections.ny.gov/request-ballot

→

https://vote.nyc/RequestBallot

→

https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/nyc-mayoral-elections-2025-live-updates-zohran-mamdani-vs-andrew-cuomo-donald-trump-polling-results-latest-news-11762239888095.html

→

https://vote.nyc/

→

https://www.nycvotes.org/how-to-vote/vote-by-mail/

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https://vote.nyc/page/list-candidates

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https://www.newsweek.com/nyc-mayor-election-mamdani-cuomo-polls-live-updates-10980297

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https://www.fox5ny.com/election/nycs-ballot-2025-election-explained

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https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-mayor-last-day-before-election-day-2025/

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https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/09/heres-whos-running-new-york-city-mayor-2025/401994/

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https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10/28/nyregion/nyc-mayor-election-news

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https://www.newsbreak.com/new-york-post-509648/4321037225130-andrew-cuomo-s-name-is-buried-so-deep-on-ballot-his-latest-nyc-mayoral-campaign-vid-shows-voters-where-to-find-it

→

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/nyregion/nyc-mayoral-candidates-what-to-know.html

→

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/03/new-york-city-mayoral-race-mamdani-cuomo

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https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1902733611884855431

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https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1753595114214089023

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https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1720125104326156518

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https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1831262914445250871