Is Musk's R17.6m gift to a US voter every day legal?

Washington - Donald Trump surrogate Elon Musk's offer of a million dollars (about R17.6 million) to one registered voter in a swing state every day until the US election day on 5 November has raised questions about the legality of such a move.

While Democratic candidate Kamala Harris' campaign has not commented on the contest, Josh Shapiro, the Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, said on NBC's Meet the Press: “I think it's something that law enforcement should take a look at.”

Musk, the world's richest man, announced the contest on Saturday in Pennsylvania, one of the seven “swing states” that will likely determine who will become the next US president – Harris, or Republican Trump.

The contest requires entrants sign a petition “to support free speech & the right to bear arms”, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk said on X, the social media platform he owns.