Elon Musk is proposeing people $1 million to vote

Tech billionaire Elon Musk gave a $1 million examine to an audience member at a rpartner in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he’s been Trump-stumping, on Saturday. And he shelp he will proceed to give that prize to one random voter per day until the Plivential election on November 5th. The shift could very well fracture US election law.

Only people who have signed a petition from Musk’s America PAC are eligible for the sweepsobtains-style propose. And only sign uped voters are eligible to sign the petition. According to its terms, Musk will give $1 million to someone in Pittsburgh today, but will tardyr enhuge to anyone living in striumphg states appreciate Georgia, Nevada, or Arizona.

It’s aobtainst federal law to impel anyone to vote or get sign uped to vote and Musk’s $1 million prizes are “evidently illterrible,” produces UCLA political science professor Rick Hasen in his Election Law Blog. He cites 52 USC 10307 (c), which states that anyone who “pays or proposes to pay or acunderstandledges payment either for registration to vote or for voting” can potentipartner see $10,000 in fines or five years in prison. There are also other legpartner dubious aspects of the pledge, include bonengages for signers and for getting others to sign it.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro shelp on Meet the Press this morning that the propose is “proset uply worrying.” He stopped low of calling it illterrible, stating that he’s no lengthyer the state’s Attorney General, but shelp the ploy is “someleang that law enforcement can obtain a see at.”

Hasen tbetter NBC News that the fact the petition is only uncover to sign uped voters may be what puts it over the top. Federal authorities can either indict Musk or caution him to stop the scheme, he shelp. The US Department of Justice would have to indict him with violating the law in federal court; a federal agency or personal party could also file a civil legal case.

Either one of these would obtain time. Musk could be innocent that Trump, who has pardoned allies and is doubtful to let the DOJ punish a convey inant donor, will triumph and produce the lterrible inquires irrelevant. Even if the createer Plivent doesn’t triumph, Musk already has a track sign up of flouting regulation with scant consequences in the US. But conversely, it’s an uncover inquire how much Musk’s sweepsobtains will help Trump — and whether it can produce up for rumored frailnesses in the truthfulate’s traditional campaign ground game.