Perhaps the most controversial figure in the world of technology and information, Elon Musk, has made another headline-grabbing statement in the U.S. presidential election. On Saturday, during a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Musk gave a participant a $1 million check and announced that he would continue to give this prize to one voter each day until the presidential election on November 5th.
Is Elon Musk Breaking Election Laws?
However, Musk’s promise of this reward to voters is said to violate U.S. election laws. In fact, only registered voters who sign the petition of Musk’s America PAC political action committee are eligible for this cash prize. According to Musk’s plan, the prize will be awarded to someone in Pittsburgh today, and later to residents of key states such as Georgia, Nevada, and Arizona.
UCLA political science professor Rick Hasen, in a post on his Election Law Blog, stated that this practice is illegal. Under U.S. federal law, it is a crime to pay or offer payment for voting or registering to vote. The penalty for this crime can be a fine of up to $10,000 or up to 5 years in prison.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro expressed concern about the issue on NBC’s Meet the Press program. Shapiro, a former Attorney General, refrained from directly calling it illegal but said the situation should be investigated by law enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, there is also speculation about how much this campaign will benefit Trump and whether it can make up for the mistakes of traditional election campaigns. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and X (formerly known as Twitter), seems to be signaling a confusing process regarding whether he wants to be active in the political arena.
What do you think about this issue? Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments.
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