6
2004
It’s a new – legal – twist on an old idea: Encouraging people to vote by offering them money.
That’s right, my self-promoting buddies over at hotornot.com have come up with an unusually old-fashioned way to get out the vote. Amazingly, they’re keeping their clothes on.
James (4.1) Hong and Dr. Jim (3.9)Young, hotornot’s co-founders, are offering a prize of $100,000 to any registered voter who signs up for their contest. The person who refers the winner to the contest – in this case, that would be me – gets $100,000, too.
Here are the details. And no, I don’t think the ghost of Joe Kennedy is involved although I’ll bet West Virginia cost a lot less than $200,000 in 1960.
How’s this legal? James and Jim aren’t paying you to vote. They’re offering you a chance to win money, providing you’re a registered voter. Which ought to be plenty of incentive to do your civic duty and get out there on Nov. 2.