Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and the X platform, could face legal charges after his recent announcement to give away 1 million dollars daily to registered voters in key states. The initiative, aimed at boosting voter registration in support of Donald Trump, has sparked strong controversy over potential violations of electoral laws.
During an event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Musk declared that he would randomly give away the million dollars to registered voters who sign a petition promoted by his political action committee, America PAC. However, this strategy has raised red flags among legal experts.
Elon Musk's electoral proposal could land him in court
This petition aims to defend the First and Second Amendments, and is exclusively directed to voters in states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Musk mentioned that the drawing would continue daily until the presidential elections of 2024.
According to federal law, it is illegal to pay or offer monetary incentives to individuals for registering to vote or for casting their vote. This law is designed to prevent corruption in the electoral process. Derek Muller, an expert in election law at the University of Notre Dame, pointed out that limiting sweepstakes only to registered voters could be seen as an attempt to buy votes, which would violate these regulations.
The governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, also expressed concern about the legality of the proposal, calling it "deeply concerning" and suggesting that authorities could investigate the case. Penalties for violating federal laws related to voter registration include sentences of up to five years in prison.
Elon Musk gets involved in the US electoral politics and sparks controversy
In addition, Rick Hasen, an expert in electoral law at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), described the maneuver as "clearly illegal" in a blog post. Critics argue that Musk could be distorting the democratic process by offering economic incentives in favor of a candidate.
After a flood of criticism, Musk’s team modified the structure of the raffle, now presenting it as a job opportunity instead of a prize for registering. According to the new format, the winners would be selected as “spokespersons” for America PAC, thus avoiding the direct association between the raffle and voter registration.