This might be the first of it’s kind, but a Minnesota college student recently posted his vote in November’s Presidential Election for sale on internet auction house, Ebay. What he claims was only a joke, did not have prosecutors laughing.
University of Minnesota student Max P. Sanders, 19, was charged with a felony Thursday after allegedly asking for a minimum of $10 in exchange for voting for the bidder’s preferred candidate.
Apparently there’s an 1893 state law in Minnesota, that makes it illegal to solicit your vote, causing Sanders to be charged with one count of bribery, treating and soliciting.
A spokes person from the prosecutor’s office said;
“We take it very seriously. Fundamentally, we believe it is wrong to sell your vote,” “There are people that have died for this country for our right to vote, and to take something that lightly, to say, ‘I can be bought.’
“It’s a real shame,” he said. “I can imagine the conversations being held in American Legion Clubs and VFWs about whether this is a joke or not.”
Although this type of thing is very rarely seen today, it was a big problem during the 1920’s, when people would sell their votes for things like liquor, said Assistant County Attorney, Pat Diamond.
Diamond also said;
“There are two things going on here in terms of why it’s a crime,” he said. “One is the notion that elections should be a contest of ideas and not of pocketbooks — at least not in the sense of straight-out ‘I can buy your vote.’ The second notion is that everybody gets one vote, and you don’t get to buy another one.”
If convicted, Sanders could face up to 5 years in prison, and $10,000 in fines.
So, Is it really wrong to sell your vote?
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