Elon Musk shakes up US elections with his daily million-dollar giveaway

Washington DC — When tech billionaire Elon Musk handed a massive $1 million cheque to a Trump supporter on Saturday night in Harrisburg, he grinned and said, "So anyway, you're welcome."

The crowd roared as the winner of his lottery-style giveaway waved the cheque. Less than 24 hours later, Musk repeated the act in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, announcing another winner on a stage covered with "VOTE EARLY" signs.

The electric energy at both events was not just about the money. It was part of Musk's drive to register more voters for the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump ahead of Pennsylvania's registration deadline on Monday.

But while the act grabbed headlines, it has also ruffled some feathers.

A closer look

Megan Green, a campaign finance advocate based in Missouri, told TRT World the whole scheme feels off.

"Look, democracy shouldn't come with a price tag," she said.

Green is worried Musk’s offer of a $1 million lottery to registered voters, along with $100 stipends for petition referrals, crosses ethical boundaries.

"You're not outright saying, 'Here's cash to vote,' but come on, it's close enough to raise alarms. Voter participation needs to be about civic duty, not pay-outs."

Musk, seemingly unbothered by the backlash, insists his actions are entirely legal.

Legally, he may not be far off. Since the petition is only open to registered voters, it provides a technical shield, giving Musk a layer of plausible deniability — the money is tied to signatures, not votes.

Mark Winston, an election lawyer in Florida, told TRT World that Musk's strategy is a legal grey area, but likely not illegal.

"He's not crossing any bright lines here," Winston explained.

"The law is about intent. If Musk were paying for votes or new registrations, that would be illegal. But since it's about petition signatures, it gets murky."

Shifting political spotlight

Musk's actions have taken on a political dimension too, with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro calling his giveaway "deeply concerning" during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press.

"I think it's something that law enforcement could take a look at," Shapiro noted.

"I'm not the attorney general anymore of Pennsylvania. I'm the governor, but it does raise some serious questions."

However, experts believe that while Musk may be testing the limits, he knows exactly what he's doing.

"Musk isn't some naive tech billionaire stumbling through campaign finance," Winston adds.

"He understands the rules and has carefully calibrated them just enough to create buzz, but not enough to trigger a legal crackdown."

'Not directly paying people'

Still, not everyone is convinced.

Green argued the giveaway comes dangerously close to vote-buying.

"Musk isn't directly paying people to register but the effect is almost the same," she said.

The fallout hasn't been limited to swing state of Pennsylvania.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson also criticised Musk for spreading disinformation after he claimed that Michigan's voter rolls had more names than eligible citizens.

"Musk is completely lost when it comes to how elections work and what's legally required," Benson wrote on X, referencing 52 USC 10307(c), a law that prohibits offering anything of value, like a chance to win $1 million, in exchange for voting or registering.

Musk has publicly endorsed Trump, and in return, the former president has said he plans to appoint the Tesla and SpaceX CEO to lead a government efficiency commission — a task force focused on streamlining federal operations.

For Green, Musk's cash-fuelled gambit is a troubling sign of where democracy could be headed.

"It's not just about laws on paper," she said. "If voter participation in America becomes transactional, we've clearly lost the plot."

Others, however, see it very differently. Winston said Musk is merely adapting to the times.

"It's 2024, and politics is a spectacle. Musk is simply playing the game."