Claims of election fraud were a staple in right-wing media during and after the 2020 presidential election. Fox News had to air coverage in February debunking fraudulent claims by the network's hosts after a legal threat from voting technology company Smartmatic.

Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of public policy at UC Riverside, said this emerging pattern of writing off elections as fraudulent is not a healthy sign for democracy. California, in contrast to several other states, has made it easier to vote, by expanding early voting and vote-by-mail.

Ramakrishnan said that Elder's fraudulent claims may impact more people, including younger voters who see misleading advertising on platforms like Facebook.

"People are frustrated with the pandemic, including high unemployment, and want to scapegoat someone," Ramakrishnan said.

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