Elon Musk’s ‘America’ PAC offers $47 for swing-state voter referrals

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Tech billionaire Elon Musk is reaching out to registered voters in swing states with a sweet deal to get out the word about a petition.

“For every person you refer who is a swing state voter, you get $47! Easy money,” Musk wrote in a post on X as he promoted a petition in favor of the First and Second Amendments.

“The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I am pledging my support for the First and Second Amendments,” reads the petition by the America PAC with an offer that is valid for the next two weeks.

For every person you refer who is a swing state voter, you get $47! Easy money. https://t.co/5jCNuXIaui

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 7, 2024

“In appreciation for your support, you will receive $47 for each registered voter you refer that signs this petition,” the form reads.

“Our goal is to get 1 million registered voters in swing states to sign in support of the Constitution, especially freedom of speech and the right to bear arms,” the website notes, pointing to the program being “exclusively open to registered voters in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.”

The site notes that those signing the petition may only do so once and “Eligible people may only list one eligible person as their referrer.”

“Before payment is made, America PAC will verify the accuracy of all information of the referrer and referee,” the PAC page noted.

Critics on social media immediately cried foul, calling the plan an illegal ploy to buy votes. But offering incentives, even financial, for petition referrals does not violate federal election laws as would be the case when registering someone to vote.

“Yes. It is legal to compensate signature gatherers, or circulators, who collect petition signatures, though the exact laws vary by state,” Forbes reported. “Some states, like Arizona, Florida, and Utah, have made it illegal for campaigns or other employers to pay based on the number of signatures gathered—known as pay-per-signature compensation—but it is almost always legal to pay by the hour for time spent soliciting signatories. The America PAC is based in Texas, where there are no specific laws about pay-per-signature compensation.”

Musk, who is worth an estimated $263.3 billion according to Forbes, has endorsed former President Donald Trump and appeared with him at a rally in Butler, PA. where he told the crowd, “This is no ordinary election.”

“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 you make an informed vote?” he said. “You must have free speech in order to have democracy. That’s why it’s the First Amendment, and the Second Amendment is there to ensure that we have the First Amendment.”

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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.