While campaigning for former President Donald Trump on Saturday, tech billionaire Elon Musk announced a controversial initiative to give away $1 million daily to registered voters in battleground states.
This move quickly drew scrutiny from election law experts, who warned it could violate laws prohibiting payments for voter registration.
At a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Musk stated, “We want to get over a million, maybe 2 million voters in battleground states to sign a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments. We will award $1 million randomly to those who sign the petition every day until the election.”
Musk referred to a petition launched by his political action committee aimed at affirming rights to free speech and gun ownership.
Read Also: Trump Spotted At McDonald’s In Final Days Of Campaign
The initiative is limited to registered voters in key states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
Having contributed over $75 million to his pro-Trump super PAC, Musk expressed hopes that the sweepstakes would boost voter registration among Trump supporters. At the event, he urged attendees to encourage others to register and vote.
The first winner was announced at the Harrisburg event, where Musk presented a large check to a Trump supporter. A second winner was revealed the following day during an event in Pittsburgh, where he showcased a check alongside signs urging early voting.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro called Musk’s giveaway “deeply concerning” and suggested it could attract law enforcement scrutiny. In response, Musk took to social media to express his dismay over Shapiro’s remarks.
Federal law prohibits paying individuals for voter registration or voting, with violations potentially leading to severe penalties.
Following backlash over the weekend, Musk’s group adjusted some of their promotional language regarding the sweepstakes.
Election law expert Derek Muller noted that limiting the giveaway to registered voters raises bribery concerns. He indicated that while offering cash to those already registered might violate federal law, including potential new registrants could complicate matters further.
Most state laws only criminalize payments for voting, and Muller remarked that federal prosecutors rarely pursue election bribery cases, especially as the Supreme Court narrows the interpretation of such laws. Despite this, other election law authorities condemned Musk’s actions as problematic.
David Becker, a former Justice Department official, argued that the sweepstakes was designed to influence the election outcome, particularly given its timing before voter registration deadlines.
Rick Hasen, a UCLA election law expert, labeled the initiative as “clearly illegal vote-buying,” referencing Justice Department guidelines against lottery-style inducements for voter registration.
Late Sunday, Musk’s group rebranded the initiative as a job opportunity, claiming winners would be selected to earn $1 million as spokespersons for America PAC.
However, experts like Muller and Becker suggested this rebranding would not significantly change the program’s potential legal issues.
Additionally, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson criticized Musk for spreading misinformation about voter registration integrity, after he falsely claimed the number of voters exceeded the number of citizens in the state.
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2Z
