Elon Musk’s offer of free admission to hear his speech in exchange for having voted in Pennsylvania is likely illegal, according to Rick Hasen.
“This is likely illegal, because in a federal election one cannot give anything of value in exchange for someone agreeing to turn out to vote. It is not necessary to offer that a person vote for or against a particular candidate. Here is the relevant statute, 18 U.S.C. section 597. Just like one cannot give out free ice cream or car washes or concert tickets, one cannot give out free admission to hear a speech by a tech entreprenuer.”
