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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  • 2 Posted by couldo23 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    wow..... screw corporate America...... besides everyone knows that the Patriots stage everything LOL (MGS joke)

  • 3 Posted by thehardestroad on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:04PM EDT Report Abuse

    The really sad part in all this, is that some people's votes have gone to the highest bidder for years. It's called campaign favors. And even dead person's votes have been sold and counted in some parts of America. (think a mid-west windy city)

  • 4 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse

    I think people have forgetten that back in the LAST Presidential election, tens of thousands of people sold their votes online, and raked in millions of dollars. None of them were prosecuted then. However now, the Minnesota Secretary of State is trying to save his own bacon and his reputation. He himself is accused of electoral / voter corruption - so in order to keep his name clean, he is vigorously prosecuting anyone and everyone in the state that even smells of dirty politics or voter fraud. As usual, those with power will flaunt it for good PR.

  • 5 Posted by middlenamefrank on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'd only be surprised if someone was actually stupid enough to 'buy' the kid's vote. Since voting is strictly confidential, no exceptions, there's no possible way to verify his vote. Even an absentee ballot wouldn't work...there's no way to guarantee he actually sent it in that way.

  • 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.

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