PSA: Don't sell your vote on eBay

Sun Jul 6, 2008 5:12PM EDT

See Comments (32)

Nineteen-year-old Max P. Sanders probably through it all in good fun when he decided to sell his 2008 Presidential election vote on eBay, asking for a minimum of 10 dollars in exchange for a ballot marked with the President of the buyer's choice.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office in Minnesota isn't laughing. That office subpoenaed eBay for his personal information and served Sanders with papers charging him of felony bribery under a state law that makes offering a vote for sale illegal.

Sanders had already removed the auction, which got no bids and which he claimed was a joke, by the time the charge was made, but the prosecution isn't budging. If convicted, Sanders could be fined $10,000 and end up in prison for five years. The law was primarily used in the 1920s during the Prohibition era.

Minnesota prosecutor Pat Diamond says, "There are two things going on here in terms of why it's a crime. 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." 

As for eBay, I can't find any specific prohibition against offering a vote for sale, though sellers cannot offer services which are explicitly against the law. Is selling your lote illegal in every state? Just curious...

LINK: Minn. tenn charged with offering his vote on eBay

Updated July 7 with clarification from Minnesota's Secretary of State, which is not the actual prosecutor in the case.

Comments on PSA: Don't sell your vote on eBay

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  • 6 Posted by perwin100 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hmm, So instead of educating the guy and watching to see if he does it again. The government will pay tax dollars and bully the kid so they can feel good about themselves. I mean I know everyone knows that this is a government for the government, governed by the government ( and lobbiests ) But now they are worrying about something like this? I mean if the ad was still up and the kid was serious ok, but going after a stupid joke? American Government, The worlds largest Mafia. Hmm, how fast do you think they will come after me? My opinion is not like theirs after all.

  • 7 Posted by danimalparamount on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    not sure why a prosecutor would waste his time with a teen kid selling a vote for $10 does he not have enough time on his hands... i seriously doubt he will have to pay a dollar in fines. If he does pack it in big brother really is taking over.

  • 8 Posted by kjantz on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    This just goes to show what an arrogant, egotistical, power drunk public "servant" will do. It doesn't just happen in a State, think of the tactics of the FBI, BATFE, DHS, TSA, and all the other alphabetical soup agencies with some law enforcement responsibilities. I was a police office in Arizona in the mid-60's. The Hiway Patrol Manual was the de facto standard for Law officers. It began with "The officer's role is to enforce the spirit of the law, not the letter of the law". Guess this common sense has gone by the wayside.

  • 9 Posted by beeplikeajeep88 on Tue Jul 8, 2008 6:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    Don't we have ANYTHING more important to worry about here in this country except a 19 year old making a joke? Some guy tried to sell his soul on eBay as a joke and the government didnt step in and say it was illegal to "own" another person. Then again here you get in more trouble for downloading music than beating your kids and tormenting animals. Priorities??????

  • 10 Posted by sociopathic_gecko on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is just like illegal music downloading online, its all digital and almost impossible to get caught. But the feds don't care about illegal music downloading, they care about getting elected.

  • 11 Posted by fromandrewvanbeek on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    Politicians do it all the time. Why do they waste their time, our taxpayer dollars, and manpower on hunting down this loser. How do you think lobbyists work. They take bribes for companies, they vote on things that benefit these companies, and they get to keep the money. Yet they are hunting only the average joes. They should make lobbying illegal. But then the lobbyists will vote against that.

  • 12 Posted by talderman35 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:54PM EDT Report Abuse

    With the economy the way it is we are going to spend ten's of thousand's of dollars prosecuting someone for joke. No wonder other countries laugh at us.

  • 13 Posted by bizboy13 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    Nothing new here...politicos have sold thier votes for money and more. Just another waste of taxpayers money and some kid will now have legal problems.It's called selective prosecution.

  • 14 Posted by bizboy13 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:08PM EDT Report Abuse

    I want to know what Staff had time to be fishing around on ebay anyway.

  • 15 Posted by rclifton2610 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    What about the Califorina Super Delagate that offered his vote for 1Million in the news paper!!! Am I missing something here?

  • 16 Posted by glmfeier on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is a lesson for everyone. People in America should not make a joke like this one. This country is not liek other country were people sell their vote to the highest bidders or when a gun is pointed to their heard with briberry or threats to the family and the voters.

  • 17 Posted by mark.reyes1408 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    ----- that who wants to buy my vote lol. jp dont come and fine me. ^^

  • 18 Posted by mikeparmer@rocketmail.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just what in the heck is this going to do with the kids future in applying for a job for the rest of his life!Leave the tee shirt crime alone and "start" working on the WHITE collar crimes,sure bet there are alot hidden in the closet!

  • 19 Posted by froelkeworld on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    Minnesota Secretary of State really needs to get over and get a life.

  • 20 Posted by feltbelly_2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:59PM EDT Report Abuse

    Let's say someone announces who they will be voting for, a candidate. Can they legally sell the option to stay away from the pools?

  • 21 Posted by ravenhammer on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    This is just another example of the so called free society we live in. Your only free to do what the government allows you to do, and only free to say what the government tells you you can say. If you want to know how free you are, just go out and stand on a street corner and voice your opinion, you will find out just how free our society is when the police show up to correct your opinion for you.

  • 22 Posted by only1motive on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    This doesn't surprise me.. But America is nothin but a hypocrite. How can you prosecute him when the man in office did the same thing to get where he is??? Makes no sense... The law is backwards..

  • 23 Posted by healbilly on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:17PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's his vote, I think he should be able to do with it as he pleases. This is not a democracy, but a Republic. the entire Judicial branch of our government is never voted on by us. plus if you think money does not buy position try to run for president, you have to have a minimun amount of money in your war chest to be allowed to be on the ballot. Don't know the exact figure but I do know it is more than most of us "citizens" make in our lifetimes.

  • 24 Posted by intimidator2u on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    He needs to tell them that the local politicians paid him to do it.

  • 25 Posted by otter814u on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:47PM EDT Report Abuse

    It's like the bumper sticker says,"dont steal,the government hates compition. I'm told our fore fathers wrote in our constitution what we the people need to do if our government starts to represent only itself. I for one am going to look this bit of info up.

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