Tesla and X owner Elon Musk is behind a controversial election campaign stunt where he hands out millions of dollars to voters. Every day leading up to the election on November 5, he is handing out one million dollars, roughly NOK 11 million, to what will be a randomly drawn winner. This has been going on since October 19, according to the BBC. The criterion is that you must register as a voter. You must also sign a petition in support of freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. A woman receives a check for one million dollars from Elon Musk. Photo: MICHAEL SWENSEN / AFP/NTB Those who get others to do the same also get 47 dollars each, approximately NOK 500. In Pennsylvania, the sum is 100 dollars, approximately NOK 1,100. – Dangerously close to something similar to buying votes – The “brilliant” thing about Musk’s stunt is that it is not 100 percent clear that it is on the edge of what the law allows, says Sofie Høgestøl, USA expert and associate professor of jurisprudence at the University of Oslo. Musk’s stunt is very special, she believes. Sofie Høgestøl. Photo: Amanda Iversen Orlich / news – When he launched this, many people questioned the legality of this. It is dangerously close to something that might look like buying votes, she says. Those who use Musk’s scheme can still choose whether to vote for Trump or Harris. He himself has emphasized that several times. – But one would assume that most people who register through such a campaign are Trump voters, says Høgestøl. Sued in important swing state On Monday, the state attorney in Philadelphia announced that they are suing Elon Musk and American PAC, the organization Musk founded to support Trump in the election campaign. That’s what CNN writes. Musk has not yet commented on the lawsuit. Status in electorate? Each state in the United States has a given number of electors based on population. Whoever gets the most votes in a state gets all the state’s electors. The candidate with the most electors in total wins the election. Harris 0% support Trump 0% support Average of the latest polls. Updated: Source: 538. More about news’s use of numbers. Philadelphia is the capital of the state of Pennsylvania, which is one of the swing states that will decide the presidential election. – Pennsylvania is the swing state that many think will decide the election. It is difficult to imagine that neither Harris nor Trump can call themselves the next president of the United States if they do not win Pennsylvania, says Høgestøl. The US Department of Justice has previously warned Musk that his campaign stunt may be in violation of federal laws, according to several US media. The Philadelphia state attorney general believes Musk’s stunt is an illegal lottery, and in violation of Pennsylvania lottery and consumer laws. The Attorney General of Philadelphia, Larry Krasner, believes that Musk’s practice is illegal. Photo: Matt Rourke / AP/NTB – But time will tell if this holds up in a courtroom, says Høgestøl. And if the case ends in a court case, there is not necessarily much at stake for Musk. – Musk is very rich. If this ends with a fine, it will potentially not mean much to him. – Then you suddenly have a million good reasons. Høgestøl points out that in many states you have to pre-register to vote in elections, in contrast to how it is in Norway. – That is why it is very important for the candidates to get as many of their supporters as possible to register, so that they can actually vote for them, she says. Elon Musk hands out one million kroner to a new winner during a public meeting in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Photo: SAMUEL CORUM / AFP/NTB Musk’s distribution of money may be part of this, Høgestøl believes. – Let’s say you’re a sofa picker. One who usually doesn’t bother to vote. And suddenly you see that you can win one million dollars. Then you suddenly have a million good reasons to register and vote, says Høgestøl. Has donated NOK 1.3 billion Musk has forged increasingly close ties with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump throughout the election campaign. Elon Musk hugs Donald Trump on stage during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The picture was taken on 5 October. Photo: Evan Vucci / AP/NTB He has attended Trump’s public meetings several times, most recently in New York on the night of Monday. Musk has invested large sums to ensure that Trump becomes the next president of the United States, through the organization America PAC, which Musk himself founded. Among other things, by donating 120 million dollars to his election campaign, according to Forbes. This corresponds to approximately NOK 1.3 billion, and includes the money distributed to voters who register. Published 28.10.2024, at 20.14
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Elon Musk is being sued for controversial election campaign stunt in Philadelphia – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
