Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, via his Political Action Committee called America PAC, just announced a most provocative endeavor; A $1 million per day lottery to incentivize voter registration in a number of key swing states ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Musk aims to attract support for Republican candidates, particularly Donald Trump. However, this type of lottery has been ruled illegal by several legal experts and government officials.
Overview of the initiative
At a town hall in Pennsylvania, Musk explained that the America PAC would be giving away $1 million each day to random people around the country who register to vote and sign a petition in support of First and Second Amendment rights. The initiative will target states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. These have been identified as key battleground states for this election. Musk groused the effort was getting short shrift from the media: “legacy media won’t report on it”.
To be eligible to sign the America PAC petition participants must be registered voters in those swing states. Musk’s aim is clear: mobilize conservative voters and jack up Republican registration in states where every vote may count.
Legal issues
The lottery has set its sights high, but it has spawned some serious legal concerns. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) warned America PAC that its lottery could violate federal laws barring monetary inducements for voter registration. Experts in election law said such activity clearly is prohibited under federal statutes, which ban paying individuals to register to vote or to vote. As Rick Hasen, a law professor at UCLA, succinctly said, “this one is clearly illegal,” as such programs can be construed as buying votes.
Already, the DOJ public integrity division has contacted Musk’s committee to raise concerns that the lottery structure could run afoul of existing election law. That has led some state officials such as Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro to call the effort “deeply concerning” and deserving of further investigation.
America PAC reaction
Not deterred by such warnings, America PAC has pressed on unabated. As of October 25, 2024, the PAC has awarded two $1 million prizes to registered voters from Michigan and Wisconsin despite continuing to face legal scrutiny. The group maintains that the registrants are not being paid to simply register, but to sign a petition on free speech and gun rights. However, legal experts say the distinction might not hold were the actual goal to enhance voter registration.
Musk himself has defended the plan, saying that winners can come from any political party or none at all claiming voting isn’t required to enter. He says this to disputed claims that he is directly targeting Republican voters.
Political consequences
But Musk’s lottery is more than a carrots financial incentive; it speaks to broader trends in how wealth affects politics in America. His large financial backing-reportedly over $119 million to America PAC-signals an aggressive strategy to impact electoral outcomes through direct voter engagement. Critics argue such tactics raise ethical questions about the role of money in politics and whether they undermine democratic processes.
This is particularly important, given that most states are just days away from their voter registration deadlines. What Musk’s lottery represents is both a mobilizing tool and a data-gathering strategy to enhance conservative voter outreach efforts.
