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Part of a series on Stop the Steal. [View Related Entries]


About

Start the Steal or #StartTheSteal is an ironic online movement and hashtag used by Democratic voters to jokingly suggest that they are blatantly and purposefully rigging the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election in favor of Kamala Harris by voting multiple times, destroying ballots and other means. The memes are a response to the 2020 Stop the Steal movement and began appearing online in the following years. They were largely popularized in early November 2024 leading up to Election Day in the U.S.

Origin

The term "start the steal" in reference to knowingly and purposefully stealing an election started to see increasing use after 2020's "Stop the Steal" movement, a response largely from Republican voters to Joe Biden's 2020 election win, that stemmed from the unfounded belief that Biden unfairly won.

Between 2020 and 2024, the term was largely used to criticize the movement and flip it on its head by suggesting that, ironically, the Republicans wanted to steal the election back from Biden in response to his legitimate win.[1]

SPREAD THE WORD: "STOP THE STEAL" IS OVER. NOW IT'S "START THE STEAL!" ១ PROU BOY MAG ह ༥། FRUM !! P. Stuven

The phrase also started to become the subject of memes in which Democratic voters ironically encourage people to rig the election in order to win. For example, on March 8th, 2021, TikToker[2] @stephenofthe90s posted a video in which he jokingly suggested that progressives "start the steal," garnering around 4,200 views in three years.

@stephenofthe90s #startthesteal ♬ original sound – Stephen Of The 90s

The meme started to become notably popularized in the days leading up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. For example, on October 28th, 2024, X[3] user @fthnr200004 posted, "START THE STEAL," garnering around 60 likes in a week. This is the earliest known, relevant use of the term relating to the 2024 election.

RN HTF + @fthnr200004 START THE STEAL 2:43 AM Oct 28, 2024 1,996 Views

Spread

The phrase and hashtag "#StartTheSteal" continued to grow throughout November 2024. On November 1st, 2024, X[4] user @Shark3ozero posted, "Start The Steal," garnering over 380 likes in four days. On November 4th, X[5] user @FreonCat posted a comic in which a character votes multiple times, writing above the comic "start the steal," garnering over 2,300 likes in a day.

Florence SOON MFF @FreonCat Start the Steal NORMALSVILLE Stickers! For FREE! Oh, hey! I just got out! by Florence 4:12 PM - Nov 4, 2024 14.4K Views No. 150-11/4/24 Did you know they give you a free sticker every time you vote? I'm getting back in line! @Freon Cat

Later that day, X[6] user @Punished_Jess posted an image of the U.S. electoral college map colored mostly blue under the hashtag "#StartTheSteal," garnering over 400 likes in a day. On November 5th, X[7] user @awawawhoami posted, "START THE STEAL," garnering over 43,000 likes and 3,000 reposts in under a day.

Jess @Punished Jess #StartTheSteal Democrats ▾ 538 WA 12 OR CA ระ 54 Republicans 0 292 55 122 69 94 NV UT 5° == WY ND 3 MN 10 SD m WI 10 MI 15 NY 28 IA NE 6 50 10 82 19 69 IL IN OH 19 11 17 VT 3 MO WV KS 10 13 6 NH NC 37 E= 16 MA 11 NM 5 11:23 PM - Nov 4, 2024 11.6K Views AR MS AL 9 to GA 16 RI CT 7 270 WIN NJ 14 DE 3 MD 10 DC 3

Also on November 5th, 2024, X[8] user and content creator @jaubreyYT posted a selfie, writing, "Just voted 76 times in Pennsylvania #StartTheSteal," garnering over 30,000 likes in under a day.

j aubrey @jaubreyYT Just voted 76 times in Pennsylvania #StartTheSteal ARB 1:08 PM - Nov 5, 2024 428.2K Views Subscribe

Various Examples

Alex @Asswhip2K24 #StartTheSteal YEAH WE DOING ELECTION INTERFERENCE сти AMST KEEP SCROLLING 1:54 PM - Nov 5, 2024 - 18.1K Views
Sue Madre @Pats_GOAT me with my pennsylvania ballots #startthesteal II GIF ALT 11:49 AM - Nov 5, 2024 -36.6K Views
popsly @popsly_lol Just dropped off enough ballots to swing Pennsylvania #StartTheSteal #ElectionDay BALLOT ONI UNITED CA LABEL OTHER ENG LABEL TED STATES OTHER END LARE LABEL THER WARNING NOT FOR PRIVATE USE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE FOR MAIL ONLY A 12:06 PM - Nov 5, 2024 - 23.6K Views UNITED S UNITED STRON LABEL OTHER END POSTAL UNITED LABEL THEI
Rachel Mellinger @RMellinger69 I am single-handedly going to turn Texas blue myself #StarttheSteal Maya Rudolph FLUOR Fi brat pills Selzer Poll Pink Pony Club Iowa +3 11:47 AM - Nov 5, 2024 - 9,070 Views Brat Brat Brat Brat Brat
tony @IceCreamTony me and the boys at my local polling station running the numbers up for kamala #StartTheSteal 0:14 From all reaction videos 3:43 PM - Nov 5, 2024 - 6,985 Views
Gideon Dean @gideondeanradio 1h get in losers let's do this #StartTheSteal Kansas City Directions * My Location Greenville Atlanta, GA Madison, WI Detroit, MI Pittsburgh, PA Add Stop Now Avoid v он "New York Philadelphia Pop Base @PopBase - 1h The seven swing states for #ElectionDay: • Arizona • Michigan • Georgia...

Search Interest

External References

[1] PLSteiner – start the steal

[2] TikTok – stephenofthe90s

[3] X – fthnr200004

[4] X – Shark3ozero

[5] X – FreonCat

[6] X – Punished_Jess

[7] X – awawawhoami

[8] X – jaubreyYT



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Start the Steal meme example.

Start the Steal

Part of a series on Stop the Steal. [View Related Entries]

Updated Nov 05, 2024 at 05:53PM EST by Zach.

Added Nov 05, 2024 at 03:40PM EST by Phillip Hamilton.

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About

Start the Steal or #StartTheSteal is an ironic online movement and hashtag used by Democratic voters to jokingly suggest that they are blatantly and purposefully rigging the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election in favor of Kamala Harris by voting multiple times, destroying ballots and other means. The memes are a response to the 2020 Stop the Steal movement and began appearing online in the following years. They were largely popularized in early November 2024 leading up to Election Day in the U.S.

Origin

The term "start the steal" in reference to knowingly and purposefully stealing an election started to see increasing use after 2020's "Stop the Steal" movement, a response largely from Republican voters to Joe Biden's 2020 election win, that stemmed from the unfounded belief that Biden unfairly won.

Between 2020 and 2024, the term was largely used to criticize the movement and flip it on its head by suggesting that, ironically, the Republicans wanted to steal the election back from Biden in response to his legitimate win.[1]


SPREAD THE WORD: "STOP THE STEAL" IS OVER. NOW IT'S "START THE STEAL!" ១ PROU BOY MAG ह ༥། FRUM !! P. Stuven

The phrase also started to become the subject of memes in which Democratic voters ironically encourage people to rig the election in order to win. For example, on March 8th, 2021, TikToker[2] @stephenofthe90s posted a video in which he jokingly suggested that progressives "start the steal," garnering around 4,200 views in three years.

@stephenofthe90s #startthesteal ♬ original sound – Stephen Of The 90s


The meme started to become notably popularized in the days leading up to the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. For example, on October 28th, 2024, X[3] user @fthnr200004 posted, "START THE STEAL," garnering around 60 likes in a week. This is the earliest known, relevant use of the term relating to the 2024 election.


RN HTF + @fthnr200004 START THE STEAL 2:43 AM Oct 28, 2024 1,996 Views

Spread

The phrase and hashtag "#StartTheSteal" continued to grow throughout November 2024. On November 1st, 2024, X[4] user @Shark3ozero posted, "Start The Steal," garnering over 380 likes in four days. On November 4th, X[5] user @FreonCat posted a comic in which a character votes multiple times, writing above the comic "start the steal," garnering over 2,300 likes in a day.


Florence SOON MFF @FreonCat Start the Steal NORMALSVILLE Stickers! For FREE! Oh, hey! I just got out! by Florence 4:12 PM - Nov 4, 2024 14.4K Views No. 150-11/4/24 Did you know they give you a free sticker every time you vote? I'm getting back in line! @Freon Cat

Later that day, X[6] user @Punished_Jess posted an image of the U.S. electoral college map colored mostly blue under the hashtag "#StartTheSteal," garnering over 400 likes in a day. On November 5th, X[7] user @awawawhoami posted, "START THE STEAL," garnering over 43,000 likes and 3,000 reposts in under a day.


Jess @Punished Jess #StartTheSteal Democrats ▾ 538 WA 12 OR CA ระ 54 Republicans 0 292 55 122 69 94 NV UT 5° == WY ND 3 MN 10 SD m WI 10 MI 15 NY 28 IA NE 6 50 10 82 19 69 IL IN OH 19 11 17 VT 3 MO WV KS 10 13 6 NH NC 37 E= 16 MA 11 NM 5 11:23 PM - Nov 4, 2024 11.6K Views AR MS AL 9 to GA 16 RI CT 7 270 WIN NJ 14 DE 3 MD 10 DC 3

Also on November 5th, 2024, X[8] user and content creator @jaubreyYT posted a selfie, writing, "Just voted 76 times in Pennsylvania #StartTheSteal," garnering over 30,000 likes in under a day.


j aubrey @jaubreyYT Just voted 76 times in Pennsylvania #StartTheSteal ARB 1:08 PM - Nov 5, 2024 428.2K Views Subscribe

Various Examples


Alex @Asswhip2K24 #StartTheSteal YEAH WE DOING ELECTION INTERFERENCE сти AMST KEEP SCROLLING 1:54 PM - Nov 5, 2024 - 18.1K Views Sue Madre @Pats_GOAT me with my pennsylvania ballots #startthesteal II GIF ALT 11:49 AM - Nov 5, 2024 -36.6K Views popsly @popsly_lol Just dropped off enough ballots to swing Pennsylvania #StartTheSteal #ElectionDay BALLOT ONI UNITED CA LABEL OTHER ENG LABEL TED STATES OTHER END LARE LABEL THER WARNING NOT FOR PRIVATE USE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE FOR MAIL ONLY A 12:06 PM - Nov 5, 2024 - 23.6K Views UNITED S UNITED STRON LABEL OTHER END POSTAL UNITED LABEL THEI Rachel Mellinger @RMellinger69 I am single-handedly going to turn Texas blue myself #StarttheSteal Maya Rudolph FLUOR Fi brat pills Selzer Poll Pink Pony Club Iowa +3 11:47 AM - Nov 5, 2024 - 9,070 Views Brat Brat Brat Brat Brat tony @IceCreamTony me and the boys at my local polling station running the numbers up for kamala #StartTheSteal 0:14 From all reaction videos 3:43 PM - Nov 5, 2024 - 6,985 Views Gideon Dean @gideondeanradio 1h get in losers let's do this #StartTheSteal Kansas City Directions * My Location Greenville Atlanta, GA Madison, WI Detroit, MI Pittsburgh, PA Add Stop Now Avoid v он "New York Philadelphia Pop Base @PopBase - 1h The seven swing states for #ElectionDay: • Arizona • Michigan • Georgia...

Search Interest

External References

[1] PLSteiner – start the steal

[2] TikTok – stephenofthe90s

[3] X – fthnr200004

[4] X – Shark3ozero

[5] X – FreonCat

[6] X – Punished_Jess

[7] X – awawawhoami

[8] X – jaubreyYT

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