Billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk has sparked a fresh debate ahead of the New York mayor election on Tuesday. He claimed that the city’s ballot system was flawed, arguing that the Democratic socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani’s name appeared twice. Meanwhile, he endorsed his support to former governor Andrew Cuomo, stating, “Bear in mind that a vote for Curtis is really a vote for Mumdumi or whatever his name is. VOTE CUOMO!”
A social media post by Polymarket mentioned, “BREAKING: Zohran Mamdani listed twice on the ballot for today’s NYC Mayoral Election. 92% chance he wins.” Elon Musk reposted the X post, mocking Mamdani, “Given that he’s on the ballot twice, maybe he can win twice too.” The former DOGE leader’s outburst appeared to be a sharp rebuke to Mamdani, the leading candidate in the city’s mayoral polls.
Given that he’s on the ballot twice, maybe he can win twice too 🤦♂️ https://t.co/xDFC1imeha
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2025
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Musk was even called a ‘racist’ by users online for not spelling Mamdani’s name properly. In a separate post, he wrote, “The New York City ballot form is a scam! – No ID is required – Other mayoral candidates appear twice – Cuomo’s name is last in the bottom right.” He alleged the voter identification requirements were weak and labelled the format a “scam.” Moreover, US President Donald Trump has himself thrown his weight behind Cuomo.
Following Musk’s mockery of Mamdani, social media users educate Musk on the city’s fusion voting system. In NYC elections, a candidate’s name can appear twice on the ballot because of the city’s combined-party voting system. For example, a candidate can potentially be listed under both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. Voters can cast their ballots for either line; however, all votes count toward the same candidate’s tally.
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