On Saturday, Elon Musk announced a $1 million daily giveaway through his political action committee, America PAC, to incentivize Republican voter registration in key battleground states ahead of the presidential election.
"We will be awarding $1 million randomly to people who have signed the petition," Musk stated during a Pennsylvania town hall. The petition, aimed at securing support for the First and Second Amendments, requires signers to be registered voters in states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.
"One challenge we’re having is how do we get the public to know about this petition, as legacy media won’t report on it," Musk added.
However, legal experts have expressed serious doubts about the lottery’s legality. Federal election law explicitly prohibits offering monetary rewards for voter registration. Rick Hasen, a UCLA law professor, remarked in his blog: "This one is clearly illegal," referencing the Justice Department’s guidelines against payments intended to influence voting.
Brett Kappel, a campaign finance lawyer, echoed these concerns, noting that Musk's initiative suggests America PAC is struggling to meet its voter outreach targets.
Despite the legal risks, America PAC has already awarded its first $1 million prize to John Dreher, who received the check from Musk during the event. In a video shared by the PAC, Dreher urged early voting, warning that "a lot of things can go wrong and prevent you from voting."
Musk's move to influence the political landscape aligns with his open endorsement of Donald Trump. As the election nears, his efforts are drawing scrutiny regarding the role of wealth in political influence.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro commented in an interview with NBC news: "When you start flowing this kind of money into politics, I think it raises serious questions that folks may want to take a look at."