Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced he will give away $1 million (£766,000) a day to a registered voter in key swing states until the U.S. presidential election on November 5. The daily winner will be randomly selected from those who sign a pro-U.S. Constitution petition organized by Musk’s campaign group, AmericaPAC, which was established to support Republican nominee Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
The first check was awarded at a town hall event in Pennsylvania on Saturday night, followed by another on Sunday. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat supporting Kamala Harris, called Musk’s strategy “deeply concerning.”
Shapiro suggested on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that law enforcement might need to investigate the payments. The contest is open to voters in key battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina, which are likely to determine the outcome of the election.
Rick Hasen, an election law expert, expressed concern about the legality of Musk’s offer. Writing on his Election Law Blog, Hasen argued that the payments could be illegal under federal law, which prohibits paying or offering to pay for voter registration or voting. Violation of this law can result in a $10,000 fine or a five-year prison sentence. Although Musk’s petition does not directly pay people to vote, Hasen questioned the underlying intent, particularly since it targets registered voters in swing states.
Those signing the petition, which endorses free speech and gun rights, must provide contact information, potentially allowing AmericaPAC to reach out to them regarding their votes.
Musk has been offering $100 to Pennsylvania voters who sign the petition, along with an additional $100 for every person they refer. In other battleground states, the referral incentive is $47. This strategy may exploit a legal loophole, as no one is being paid directly to vote. However, it introduces money into a process that could help identify likely Trump supporters.
Under U.S. election law, payments to influence voting—whether for a specific candidate or merely to get people to vote—are prohibited. This rule famously led Ben & Jerry’s to change a 2008 plan to give free ice cream to voters, instead offering it to everyone on election day.
When asked about Musk’s giveaway, Trump stated he hadn’t followed it closely, though he considers Musk a “friend” and speaks with him frequently. Musk, the founder of SpaceX and Tesla and the owner of X (formerly Twitter), has emerged as a prominent supporter of Trump, launching AmericaPAC in July to back Trump’s campaign.
Musk has contributed $75 million (£57.5 million) to the group, which has quickly become a vital part of Trump’s election effort. AmericaPAC’s website states its support for “Secure Borders, Safe Cities, Sensible Spending, Fair Justice System, Free Speech, and the Right to Self-Protection.”
Musk aims to get over one million, potentially two million, voters in battleground states to sign the petition in support of the First and Second Amendments, which he believes will send a critical message to elected officials.
Currently, Musk holds the title of the world’s richest person, with a net worth of $248 billion (£191 billion), according to Forbes.
Source: BBC
