Oct. 19, Elon Musk announced that he would give $1 million to individuals in swing states every day until Election Day to promote voter registration amongst former President Donald Trump’s supporters. Individuals in swing states that register to vote and sign a petition in support of the First and Second Amendments are allowed to enter the giveaway, according to CNN.

Musk has also offered $47 to those who refer other voters to sign the petition for the First and Second Amendments, with sums as high as $100 being offered in the swing state of Pennsylvania, according to BBC News.

Musk is an extremely vocal supporter of Trump. He hosted political campaigns to support Trump and has invested over $75 million into his pro-Trump Political Action Committee, according to CNN.

But, the Department of Justice warned Musk’s PAC that monetary gifts in exchange for voter registration might be a step into illegal territory, as federal law prohibits attempts to coerce individuals into voting or even attempting to vote, according to CNN.

Musk and Trump maintained that they are not requiring entrants to vote or register with a certain party, according to WPR. But, any form of monetary compensation from a political party that is obviously intending to gain voter support borders on coercion and exploitation. The giveaway has created tension as voters weigh the value of a life-changing sum of money against the value of their vote.

Ultimately, voters’ chance to reflect on each candidate’s policies and values from a neutral perspective could be lost.

For swing state voters that are undecided and confused with the sea of political propaganda being targeted at them, a monetary compensation might easily sway their vote. The same might be the case for individuals who are in dire financial situations and simply cannot offer up a chance at the payments being offered directly to them.

While entrants are not required to vote for Trump, individuals who sign petitions in favor of Trump’s policies might feel discomfort in voting for the opposite candidate at the polls, according to a study on cognitive dissonance. In order to maintain voter integrity, it is important that the government ensures voting decisions are made free of any external pressures or incentives.

One of the most recent recipients of Musk’s cash prize is an Eau Claire resident, according to WPR. In the battleground state of Wisconsin, this disruption of our civic process can be extremely detrimental.

In 2020, the election results in Wisconsin were decided by less than 100 votes, making the state a deciding factor for the election, according to AP News. It certainly seems like 2024 will be no different. Trump leads Harris by one point in an extremely tight 48-47% race in the key battleground state, according to The Hill.

While bribery has no place in elections in any U.S. state, a lack of voter integrity in Wisconsin has the potential of transforming election results for the entire country. Swing states must be protected from attempts at election coercion for the sake of the nation.

Trump’s approval of Musk’s giveaway is also ironic given that Trump has relentlessly — and falsely — criticized Democrats for alleged voter fraud for years now, according to PBS News. He has even gone so far as to say, “we have to stop them [Democrats] from cheating, because they cheat like dogs,” according to the article.

It is quite hypocritical for Trump to now be associated with an election fraud warning from the DOJ and a lawsuit from Philadelphia’s district attorney this election season. But voter fraud must be kept out of our elections, no matter which political candidate it benefits.

Voters deserve the opportunity to cast their ballots based on their personal political ideals, not those imposed on them by external pressures. The DOJ must take immediate action to stop Musk’s giveaway and protect voter security. If the DOJ lets financial pressures from billionaires like Musk have a bearing on election results, can our political system truly be considered a democracy?

Aanika Parikh ([email protected]) is a junior studying molecular and cell biology.