Would it be illegal to sell my vote on Ebay?

[Kamika]

Anyone know? either primary vote or President vote

[Fixated]

1. illegal?

I'll say no...illogical? Definitely.

[bluestateguy]

2. Don't give Wal-Mart any ideas

[JasonBerry]

10. That's funny

:)

Or, McDonald's I suppose. "Would you like a McVote with those McNuggets?"

[Frodo]

3. Yes. Buying or selling votes is illegal under federal law.

And, no offense, but anyone who would sell the franchise... well, his vote isn't worth very much anyway.

[Democrats unite]

4. Couldn't have said it better.

[FeebMaster]

6. Actually,

I'd say his vote is worth whatever someone was willing to pay for it. This could be an untapped market here. Most people don't even bother to vote. If enough of them started selling their votes instead of doing nothing, it could swing elections.

[tkulesa]

13. Help the Rich

Let them buy up the slacker vote and increase their influence even more.

What a wonderful idea.

Poor people could be coerced by poverty into giving up their vote for a bit of much needed cash and America officially becomes a land ruled by the wealthy, for the wealthy.

[FeebMaster]

15. Seems perfectly fair to me.

If a person has the right to vote for any candidate they choose, then as far as I'm concerned they can sell that vote. I don't see what wealth has to do with anything. A lot of people don't vote at all, so it's not like a vote should be too hard to come by. Maybe once the idea of selling your vote gets popular everyone will get into it. The market will get flooded and votes could go for $5 or something.

[tkulesa]

22. Fair?

Right. So Richard Mellon Scaife can buy 1,000,000 votes and decides any election he wants.

Meanwhile, nobody is voting for the poor people's interests because the poor people have been encouraged to exchange their interests for cash.

You can't honestly believe that "everyone would get into it." Only rich people would get into it, which would mean that only rich people vote, and rich people get multiple votes.

Those poor people who refused to sell their votes would have their power as a voting block hopelessly diluted by those who do sell, and the rich would have their (already overwhelming) power as a voting block vastly expanded.

So much for one person, one vote.

[FeebMaster]

24. It still is one person, one vote.

It's just that some of those one persons have decided that their one vote is worth less to them than some money.

[SeattleRob]

21. Vote selling is going on every day in DC

and that is the reality

[FeebMaster]

5. If i remember correctly,

a few people tried it during the last presidential election. I don't recall how it turned out though, Ebay might have pulled the auctions.

[Gulf Coast J]

12. The Nader trader scheme was also shut down

People in safe states offered to vote for Nader in exchange for people in swing states voting for Gore. A clever idea, but quite illegal - even though no money changed hands.

[FeebMaster]

16. Well I'm not familiar

with the federal law barring selling your vote and I'm certainly not going to dig through the federal register looking for it. But, assuming it is illegal, it will just have to be a black market.

[arcane1]

7. no, you can only sell votes in Washington

:evilgrin:

[leyton]

17. or to a registered lobbyist

[Brucey]

8. Yes, it's illegal, but what do you think repugs have been doing?

They "buy" votes everyday with their tax giveaways and promises. What they are doing used to be called bribery.

[spindoctor]

9. You don't need Ebay, you can apply to Cheney direct.

It is probably more effective than commercials.

[Devlzown]

11. Yes, but here's a link where you can sell your soul.

http://www.necronomi.com/projects/666/ :evilgrin:

[Slippery_Hammer]

14. It is illegal

People tryed it in 2000.

Constituent puts vote up for sale on eBay
August 16, 2000
Web posted at: 6:46 PM EDT (2246 GMT)


CNN) -- A Maryland voter protesting political corruption vows to hawk his ballot in the 2000 general election to the highest bidder on the Internet. But the electronic auction could prove costly to buyer and seller, possibly landing both parties in jail, state authorities say.
http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/08/16/internet.vote/

[FeebMaster]

20. $10,000?

Damn. I'd sell my vote for way less than that. On the other hand, it is apparently illegal. That increases the risk and therefore is going to drive prices up.

When selling your vote starts to get popular, the government is going to have to set up a special bureau just for investigating the black market in vote selling.

[Loonman]

18. Sure it is

What do you think this is?

Tammany Hall?

[Hubert Flottz]

19. I'm saving my Ebay money for a biggie!

I figure it's just a matter of time before we get to bid on Lincoln's bedroom! I figure Bush will have a big moving sale on Ebay about December!

EDIT} I think Cheney already sold the pennies that were on Lincoln's eyes!

[muriel_volestrangler]

23. How would the buyer know how you really vote?

Absentee ballot, I suppose. Can you get one without giving a reason for needing it?

[Fla_Democrat]

25. From my official absentee instructions

FELONY NOTICE. It is a felony under Florida law to accept any gift, payment, or gratuity in exchange for your vote for a candidate. It is also a felony under Florida law to vote in an election using a false identity or false address, or under any other circumstances making your ballot false or fraudulent.

I'd check your local laws, but I'm willing to bet it is illegal. :shrug: