Elon Musk announced on Saturday that America PAC, the political action committee aligned with Donald Trump, will distribute $1 million daily until the presidential election to individuals who sign a petition, which seems aimed at encouraging Republicans in battleground states to register to vote.
“We will be awarding $1 million randomly to people who have signed the petition,”- Musk stated during a town hall event in Pennsylvania. “One of our challenges is getting the word out since the mainstream media won’t cover it,” he added. “So, I thought, how do we make this go viral? I believe this approach will do the trick. Starting tonight, every day until the election, we will award $1 million,” Musk said before handing an oversized lottery-style check to the first prize winner.The petition seeks pledges of support for the First and Second Amendments, but the fine print clarifies that participants must be registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin to qualify for the prize. These states are expected to be decisive in the November 5 election, in which Trump is attempting a comeback against Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris.The petition’s structure seems primarily intended to motivate Trump supporters to register to vote in exchange for eligibility in the $1 million lottery. Moreover, signing the petition has become a requirement for attending Musk’s town hall events.
The legality of America PAC’s prize scheme is uncertain, and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment. However, several legal experts raised concerns that the initiative might violate federal election laws, which prohibit offering payment for registering to vote or participating in an election, as outlined in Title 52 of the U.S. Code.
The DOJ’s election crimes manual distinguishes between actions that facilitate voting, like providing free transportation to polling stations, and those that incentivize voting through payments, which are illegal. Rick Hasen, a law professor at UCLA, noted on his blog that the $1 million prize draw appears to be unlawful, stating, “While some of Musk’s activities may operate in a legal gray area, this particular scheme is clearly against the law.”
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