Controversial billionaire Elon Musk is no stranger to thinking outside the box, and his latest attempt to get key voters on the side of Donald Trump is no different. The Tesla and X owner is offering $1m per day in a lotto-style scheme to Americans who sign his petition which aims to uphold the right to free speech and to bear arms.
The petition has been launched by Musk’s America PAC, which is a political group he formed in spring with the intention of helping Donald Trump secure more votes in the presidential election.
the only petition backers with a chance of securing some cash are those who have registered to vote in swing states
Notably, the only petition backers with a chance of securing some cash are those who have registered to vote in swing states, as per the competition terms. The swing states include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Musk announced the measure over the weekend, confirming that he would give away $1m every day through to election day on November 5:
A top election law expert believes, however, that Musk may be breaking the law. UCLA Law Professor Rick Hasen said: “Though some of the other things Musk was doing were of murky legality, this one is clearly illegal.” Hasen cited a law stating that paying people to register to vote is breaking the law. He also noted part of the elections crimes manual that defines a bribe as “anything having monetary value, including cash, liquor, lottery chances, and welfare benefits such as food stamps.”
John Dreher, a registered voter from Pennsylvania was the first recipient of $1m. Musk has so far donated $75m in support of Donald Trump, who is facing Democrat Kamala Harris in the November election.