The world’s richest weirdo, Elon Musk, is reportedly collecting data from prospective swing state voters under the guise of helping them register to vote. CNBC reports that a series of (weird!) digital ads funded by Musk’s America PAC promises to quickly help register people to vote.
However, where the would-be voter lives dictates whether or not they actually get that assistance.
After entering an email address and a zip code, users are redirected to one of two pages. Residents of an electorally non-competitive state (such as California or Iowa) are thanked “for taking the first step” toward becoming a voter and directed to their state’s official voter registration portal.
People from potential swing states—like Michigan, Arizona, or Pennsylvania—are instead presented with an involved questionnaire, asking for personal details such as their address, age, and phone number.
Popular Science staffers filled out the form, and were redirected to “a page that simply reads, ‘Thank you for taking the first step to register to vote … Please complete the form below and we will help you complete your registration.’ At the time of writing, there is no actual form underneath that message.”
As CNBC’s Brian Schwarz puts it, “In the end, they got no help at all registering. But they did hand over priceless personal data to a political operation.” And thanks to the form’s privacy policy, America PAC “can use the data they’ve collected on ‘other activities and/or fundraising campaigns.’”
Musk’s new super PAC is collecting swing state data to be shared, and used later in service of the Trump campaign’s door-to-door canvassing efforts. According to Schwarz, America PAC spent $21 million on canvassing, digital media, text message services, and phone calls since June.
According to The New York Times, a recent Federal Election Commission advisory opinion “makes it legally permissible for super PACs to coordinate directly on field-organizing.”
Of course, Musk isn’t the only sketchy PACman out there these days. As Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas wrote on Wednesday, scammy PACs are out in force this year, and they’re basically legal—so be careful.
And if you, or someone you know, needs to register to vote, go to Vote.org. It’s a government website that does exactly what America PAC promises to do—no matter where you live.
You—yes, YOU!—can help Kamala Harris win in November! Donate what you can!
