Elon Musk pledges $1M daily to swing state voters

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced a plan to give away $1 million a day to registered voters in key swing states leading up to the US presidential election on November 5. The giveaway is part of a campaign organized by Musk’s political group, AmericaPAC, which he established to support Republican nominee Donald Trump’s bid to return to the White House.

The winners of this daily lottery will be randomly selected from voters who sign a petition by AmericaPAC. The petition promotes support for the US Constitution, including free speech and gun rights. The first winner received their check during a town hall event in Pennsylvania on Saturday, and another check was handed out the next day.

The contest is open to voters in seven critical battleground states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. These states are expected to play a decisive role in the upcoming election.

Musk’s strategy has raised concerns, particularly from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat who supports Vice President Kamala Harris. Shapiro described the initiative as “deeply concerning” and suggested that law enforcement should investigate the legality of the payments.

Election law experts are also questioning the legality of Musk’s offer. Rick Hasen, a professor of law at UCLA and an expert in election law, expressed his doubts on his Election Law Blog. He believes Musk’s offer may violate federal law, which prohibits offering payments to encourage voting. The law states that anyone offering or accepting payments for registering to vote or for voting can face a fine of up to $10,000 or five years in prison.

While Musk’s petition does not directly offer money for voting, Hasen pointed out that the contest is limited to registered voters in swing states, which makes the strategy questionable under election law. By gathering contact details from petition signers, AmericaPAC could use this information to target voters more effectively or raise funds for the campaign.

In Pennsylvania, participants are offered $100 for signing the petition and an additional $100 for every person they refer who also signs. In other battleground states, voters receive $47 for each referral.

Musk’s strategy may fall into a legal gray area because the payments are not explicitly tied to casting a vote but rather to signing the petition. This approach resembles past campaigns where businesses offered incentives for voter participation, such as the 2008 Ben & Jerry’s initiative, which provided free ice cream to voters.

Despite the concerns, neither Musk nor AmericaPAC has responded to requests for comment. Meanwhile, Trump, when asked about Musk’s giveaway, said he had not been closely following the situation but acknowledged that Musk is a “friend” and that they speak often.

Musk, has become a significant supporter of Trump. AmericaPAC, which Musk launched in July, has already received $75 million from him and is a key player in Trump’s election campaign.

With an estimated net worth of $248 billion, Musk continues to play a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential election through his financial contributions and controversial tactics.