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Teen offers vote for sale on eBay
Categories: Teens & tweens, In The News, Weird But True
While it is always good to see young people getting involved in the political process, selling your vote on eBay is not the best way to make a difference. Nor is it even remotely legal. This is a fact that 19-year-old Max P. Sanders learned the hard way. The University of Minnesota student offered to sell his vote in the upcoming presidential election to the highest bidder, with a minimum starting bid of $10.
His listing encouraged buyers with the words "Good luck!" and "You're country depends on You!" Perhaps Sanders needs that money for a remedial English class.
Sanders claims the whole thing was a joke, but Minnesota prosecutors aren't laughing. "We take it very seriously. Fundamentally, we believe it is wrong to sell your vote," said John Aiken, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office. "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.'
Sanders was charged with one count of bribery, treating and soliciting. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison a hefty $10,000 fine. The good news is that before the eBay listing was removed, not one person bid on Sanders vote.
His listing encouraged buyers with the words "Good luck!" and "You're country depends on You!" Perhaps Sanders needs that money for a remedial English class.
Sanders claims the whole thing was a joke, but Minnesota prosecutors aren't laughing. "We take it very seriously. Fundamentally, we believe it is wrong to sell your vote," said John Aiken, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office. "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.'
Sanders was charged with one count of bribery, treating and soliciting. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison a hefty $10,000 fine. The good news is that before the eBay listing was removed, not one person bid on Sanders vote.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
sweetchuckd 7-06-2008 @ 5:24PM
This story also made http://detentionslip.org. This prank sounds like a funny idea, until I read that the maximum penalty could be 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. But what surprises me is that no one placed any bids. You're telling me that no one trusts some random college kid to vote for you?
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AuMixer 7-07-2008 @ 3:55PM
Unlike the courts, I say let the punishment fit the crime.
I think his punishment should be giving up the right to vote ever again and having to go back to school.
Lee 7-07-2008 @ 5:35PM
no its telling you most people in the country know its ILLEGAL to sell or buy someone elses right to vote.
seriously this is something you learn in highschool social sciences or govt classes.
Any one who would have bid on his vote would have also been subjected to getting prosecuted aswell.
Anyone with half a brain knows that.
Shawn Lively 7-07-2008 @ 6:53PM
Can one really blame him fom trying. After all Hillary C is willing to sell her votes and influence to Barak O for his assistance in paying off her $10 million debt. But he got no bids because he does not have similar influence and how can one guarantee that he will vote the way one wants. It's no longer the Daley Chicago machine at work?
Bill 7-07-2008 @ 8:08PM
Like m'daddy said, "You just can't cure "stupid".
johnny 7-06-2008 @ 7:42PM
hi how are you ,i have been thinking ,it is not right to pay charge like this and it is ok to vote for someone
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beautifulnurse 7-06-2008 @ 10:27PM
WHAT A MORON!!!! This idiot is proof that we do need stronger education in our school system.
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Mike 7-07-2008 @ 6:04PM
Or maybe you should realize that the school system has nothing to do with him being a moron. If you choose not to pay attention in school, the school can only do so much. I'm glad you have the intelligence level to understand that a "moron" will be a moron regardless of what school you put them in...
Jeff 7-07-2008 @ 1:04AM
Sandy, your barb about how needing "money for remedial English class" would have been even funnier if you had remembered a closing quotation mark at the end of the third paragraph. Oops!
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Scott 7-07-2008 @ 3:03PM
Talk about the "pot calling the kettle black," here are a couple more grammatical errors in Sandy's article:
His listing included [?] encouraged buyers with the words "Good luck!" and "You're country depends on You!"
If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison [and/or] a hefty $10,000 fine.
Smith 7-07-2008 @ 5:08PM
Honestly this is supposed to be comments towards the content of the article not the grammatical errors. Get a life and find something better to do with your time if you're just gonna sit there and correct grammatical errors. People who constantly have the need to correct people I blelieve are pricks, simple as that.
Jeff 7-08-2008 @ 12:56AM
Hey Sandy started it!!
haha
Thank you for weighing in, Smith. You have succeeded in calling us pricks, but you have not succeeded in having a relevant comment yourself!
since when are anonymous comments such as these ever relevant? I form my own opinions about stories, I don't rely on random people from the internet to interpret them for me.
votemein 7-07-2008 @ 6:02AM
It's a good thing a college kid set the example for what NOT to do, because Congressmen and Senators, etc., might not have realized you shouldn't sell your votes; on eBay, the showroom floor, jet plane, backroom, or bathroom.
Reply
Candi 7-15-2008 @ 3:45PM
I was thinking the same thing. I guess it's legal when it's done in the government.. Um.... isn't that what lobbiest do? Offer to give you something if you vote this way!!!
Jiggy 7-07-2008 @ 2:40PM
You can kill someone and not get five years and if someone is dumb enough to buy something that isn't real let them . Just another overzealous Lawyer looking for a SLAM DUNK lol !
Reply
Kurt 7-07-2008 @ 2:45PM
This kid is a moran,but can you really punish him when we allow it day in and day out. Has anyone ever heard of PACs (political action commitees). They do the same thing, but threir allowed to call it a "donation". Lets throw them in jail too.
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zach 7-07-2008 @ 3:49PM
it's spelled "moron", and the other word you misspelled should be "they're"
Eric 7-07-2008 @ 2:48PM
Can anybody just ignore what this kid did. I don't see the difference between what he did and the deal that Clinton and Obama probably work out to cover her debt. Polititions buy your vote everytime an election is near. They just don't hand you the money.
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Al Lanahm 7-07-2008 @ 6:25PM
You're right, we have two Presidental canidates plotting for $illions. The was a teenager with an Idea., He meant no harm. Please don't make a bigger fool of yourself by prosicuting some Kid.
Action 7-07-2008 @ 3:20PM
FIND him guilty and send a message to the rest of the crowd.
Reply