Elon Musk recently announced a voter registration lottery scheme where he would award $1 million a day to a randomly selected registered Pennsylvania voter who signs a petition professing support for the 1st and 2nd Amendments. The sweepstakes has since been expanded to other battleground states, all with the intention of harvesting new voters for Donald Trump.
While Musk’s scheme may appeal to swing-state voters who have not registered or voted consistently in the past, it likely violates federal law which states that it is illegal to pay anyone to register to vote. However, Musk may escape punishment due to limited time constraints and lack of standing to bring a legal claim against him.
The Department of Justice has sent a letter warning that the scheme may be illegal, but it is unlikely that Musk and Trump will face any consequences. Even if the DOJ were to secure an injunction, the new voter registrations already achieved would not be able to be undone.
This scenario highlights the challenges of enforcing election law violations, as seen with the infamous butterfly ballot in Florida in 2000. With the upcoming election predicted to be closely contested, the potential impact of schemes like Musk’s lottery on election outcomes is concerning. Despite efforts to ensure fair elections, the reality is that outcomes can be influenced by unforeseen events or illegal actions.
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