NEW YORK, (TDI): Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s offer of $1 million to one registered voter supporting Donald Trump in swing states each day until U.S. Election Day on November 5 raises legal questions.
While Kamala Harris’s campaign has not publicly responded, Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro remarked on NBC’s Meet the Press that law enforcement should investigate the matter.
Musk introduced the contest in Pennsylvania, a critical swing state that could determine the next U.S. president, whether Harris or Trump.
To participate, entrants must sign a petition supporting “free speech and the right to bear arms,” according to Elon Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX.
However, the contest’s requirement for participants to be registered voters in swing states raises legal issues.
Danielle Lang, a Georgetown Law School professor specializing in election law, warned that the contest could face civil or criminal scrutiny from the Department of Justice.
She pointed out that offering money conditioned on voter registration is illegal, stating, “The terms of this contest violate federal law.”
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Rick Hasen, a political science professor at UCLA, echoed these concerns, citing a law that prohibits any payment related to voter registration. Violators could face fines up to $10,000 or even five years in prison.
Not everyone agrees on the legality of Musk’s initiative. Brad Smith, former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, described the situation as a “gray area,” suggesting that since Musk is not directly paying for voter registration but rather for signing a petition, he might avoid legal trouble.
Musk defends his initiative as a push to encourage voting. “We want to ensure that everyone in swing states is aware of this, and I believe this will help achieve that,” he posted on X, the platform he owns.
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In recent weeks, Musk has intensified his support for Trump, contributing $75 million to a pro-Trump political action committee and attending campaign rallies.
At one rally, he encouraged attendees to engage their communities and persuade others to vote.
Lang said that similar schemes surface during election cycles, often involving businesses offering incentives for voting, but emphasized that Musk’s contest is notable for its scale.
