Topline

Elon Musk announced that his America PAC will pay $47 for each successful referral of a registered swing state voter to sign a petition “to express support for freedom of speech and the right to bear arms,” ​​while he is increasing his support for former President Donald Trump’s campaign. less than a month before the election.

Key facts

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Big number

$23.5 million. That’s how much the America PAC would pay out if 500,000 – half of the target number of swing state signatories – came from successful referrals.

Is it legal to pay someone to solicit petition signatures?

Yes. It is legal to compensate signature gatherers, or circulators, who collect petition signatures, although the exact laws vary by state. Some states, such as Arizona, Florida and Utah, have made it illegal for campaigns or other employers to pay based on the number of signatures collected – known as pay-per-signature compensation – but it is almost always legal to pay by the hour to pay for time spent recruiting signatories. The America PAC is based in Texas, where there are no specific laws regarding pay-per-signature compensation.

In return for

While per-signature compensation is legal in some states, some warn it could increase petition signature fraud. NPR’s Ashley Lopez reported on a 2022 Michigan gubernatorial election in which more than 68,000 invalid signatures were submitted on petitions for candidate nominations, some of which were attributed to fraud because the prospects used fake names, or those of dead voters to fill out petition sheets. While not all invalid signatures can be attributed to fraud, Lopez did say there is an industry-wide perception that paying people per signature, rather than per hour, to request petition votes could lead to more fraudulent activity. “What experts are saying is that if you pay employees by the hour, there is… less incentive for them to commit fraud,” Lopez said last year. Tammy Patrick, CEO of programs at the Election Center, told NPR that signature compensation also “incentivizes signature acquisition to the extent that the voter does not understand what he is signing or misrepresents what is being signed or encourages people to do that.” even if they don’t qualify.” Former Republican Sen. Vince Leach of Arizona, who sponsored a bill to ban pay-per-signature petitions that was upheld by the state Supreme Court last year, said the Associated Press also says that compensating employees per signature increases the risk of petition fraud.

Is it legal to pay someone to register to vote?

No. Federal law prohibits anyone from paying or offering to vote or register to vote, but as with paying petition circulators, it is legal to pay people to encourage others to do so. For example, the America PAC pays $30 an hour to people who work to increase voter turnout. Earlier this year, the Biden administration said it would pay students to help register voters through the Federal Work-Study Program.

What is the America Pac?

Musk, co-founder of Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, founded the America PAC in May. Musk said he would donate about $45 million a month to the group, which also includes Palantir Technologies co-founder Joe Lonsdale and the Winklevoss twins. The PAC’s website says it was founded to support “safe borders, safe cities, free speech, sensible spending, self-protection and a fair justice system.” As of September, the PAC had about 400 employees in each of the seven battleground states, the Guardian reported, and has spent heavily trying to win the election.

Important background

Musk officially declared his support for former President Trump in the 2024 election in July, following an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump has since said he wants to create a “government efficiency commission” and Musk has agreed to head it, and Musk made his first campaign appearance this weekend at a repeat of the Butler rally. Musk called Trump the only candidate “who can preserve democracy in America” and encouraged his supporters to vote next month.

Forbes rating

Musk, the richest person in the world, is worth an estimated $263.3 billion as of Monday morning.

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