Elon Musk announces he will donate $150 million to anyone who votes, but some say it's illegal



Elon Musk, who encourages voting in the US presidential election to be held on November 5, 2024, has launched his own reward program in Pennsylvania, which is expected to be a battleground state, offering voters $100 (about 15,000 yen) if they vote. Musk has announced that he will donate $1 million (about 150 million yen) to anyone who signs up for this reward program, but it has been pointed out that this act is likely to be illegal.

Elon Musk pledges to give away $1m per day to Pennsylvania voters
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg78ljxn8g7o

Elon Musk is offering people $1 million to vote - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/20/24274971/elon-musk-1-million-prize-america-pac-petition-voting-presidential-election

Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro: Law enforcement should 'take a look at' Elon Musk voter payments
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/pennsylvania-gov-shapiro-law-enforcement-take-look-elon-musk-voter-pay-rcna176279

On October 18, 2024, Elon Musk posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, 'If you're a Pennsylvania voter, you and anyone you refer can receive $100 for signing our petition supporting free speech and the right to bear arms. Earn money by supporting ideas you already believe in,' announcing that the political action committee he supports is running its own reward program.




Additionally, Musk announced that he would donate $1 million to every voter who signs the petition.




The rewards program is only available to registered voters in Pennsylvania who have signed a petition created by a political action committee backed by Musk.

Musk immediately announced that a voter in Pittsburgh had won $1 million, and later announced plans to expand the reward program to other battleground states, including Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona.

However, some say that forcing people to vote or register to vote is against federal law, making Musk's incentive program clearly illegal.

Rick Hazen, a political scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles and election law analyst for NBC News, pointed out that Musk's bounty program violates federal law, 52 U.S.C. 10307(c), which says, 'Any person who makes, offers to make, or receives a payment to register or vote shall be fined not more than $10,000, or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.'

Elon Musk Veers Into Clearly Illegal Vote Buying, Offering $1 Million Per Day Lottery Prize Only to Registered Voters - Election Law Blog
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=146397



Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said during an appearance on NBC News' Meet the Press that Musk's bounty program was 'very concerning' and that 'law enforcement may launch an investigation.' However, Shapiro did not explicitly call Musk's bounty program 'illegal.'

Hazen told NBC News that the fact that Musk's bounty program is only open to registered voters may make the petition more radical. Hazen said federal authorities could either indict Musk or warn him to stop the bounty program. The Department of Justice could sue Musk in federal court, and federal agencies or private entities could also file civil lawsuits against Musk.

However, whatever method is adopted, it is expected to take a huge amount of time. Also, if Donald Trump, whom Musk supports, becomes president, he may pardon Musk.

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in Note, Posted by logu_ii