‘For every person you refer who is a swing state voter, you get $47,’ Musk says on X.
Elon Musk’s America PAC is offering supporters $47 for each registered voter they get to sign a petition saying they will support the First and Second Amendments.
On his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, he encouraged followers to sign the America PAC (political action committee) pledge and make referrals.
“For every person you refer who is a swing state voter, you get $47! Easy money,” Musk said on X, reposting a remark made by conservative commentator Jack Posobiec.
The petition isn’t asking anyone to vote on Election Day in November, and neither is it asking people to register to vote. Instead, according to the America PAC’s website, it has a goal to get 1 million registered voters in “swing states to support the Constitution,” namely freedom of speech and the right to bear arms.
“This program is exclusively open to registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina,” it reads, referring to the seven swing states that presidential nominees former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are vying to win in next month’s election.
It then asks individuals to enter their first and last names, email addresses, phone numbers, and mailing addresses.
Other than running the signature drive, the America PAC states on its website that it is paying $30 per hour for work that includes “increasing voter registration and voter turnout,” noting that bonuses are also available.
Under federal law, it is prohibited for individuals to pay or offer to pay someone to register to vote or vote.
According to a Department of Justice research note published in 2001, the law “applies to primaries and elections that have candidates on the ballot for the office of president, vice president, presidential elector, or member of Congress, whether or not the violation alleges payment related to a candidate for one of those particular offices. It includes criminal penalties for violations.”
Earlier in 2024, the Biden administration said it would pay college students to help register voters via the Federal Work-Study Program, which drew criticism from several Republican lawmakers at the time.
On X, the “@America” handle is dedicated to Musk’s PAC, which has so far offered critical commentary of Harris and the Democratic Party and has praised Trump.
“There is only one candidate in this race who is on the right side of these issues: Donald J. Trump,” it said in an Oct. 5 post.
It also posted a video of Musk speaking at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, nearly three months after the 45th president survived an assassination attempt at the same location.
“Free speech is the bedrock of Democracy, and if people don’t know what’s going on, if they don’t know the truth, how can they make an informed vote? You must have free speech in order to have Democracy,” Musk said. “That’s why it’s the First Amendment, and the Second Amendment is there to ensure that we have the First Amendment.”
The event took place at the same property where a gunman’s bullet grazed Trump’s right ear and killed a Trump supporter, Corey Comperatore. The shooting left multiple others injured.
It was the first time that Musk joined one of Trump’s rallies and signaled their growing alliance ahead of the presidential election. Trump has said that he would tap Musk to lead a government efficiency commission if he regains the White House.
Trump joined Musk in August for a public conversation on X, a friendly chat that spanned more than two hours. In it, Trump largely focused on the July assassination attempt, illegal immigration, and his plans to cut government regulations.
Also appearing with the former president were his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), son Eric Trump, daughter-in-law and Republican National Committee co-chair Lara Trump, and Pennsylvania lawmakers and sheriffs.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.