ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — There’s a new push online to sway your vote by swapping it with someone who lives in another state.
And while WFTV’s legal analyst said the vote trading is legal, Channel 9 found out that it also comes with risks.
The concept involved two people from different states who agree to vote for each other’s candidates, and the targets are usually people who live in swing states, like Florida, that could play a critical told in deciding the election.
Vote trading isn’t new, and was referenced in the 2000 election.
But it’s come back into the spotlight for several reasons and has raised some concerns.
John Stubbs, the cofounder of the website Trump Traders, is a Republican who is supporting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
His goal is to swap third party votes into blue states in exchange for votes against GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump in swing states.
“It’s free speech and it makes sense. All we’re doing is connecting the two voters who are talking to each other about how they should vote,” said Stubbs.
Some voters Channel 9’s Michael Lopardi spoke with said they want no part in the practice.
“It just doesn’t seem really ethical to me, to kind of be trading your vote outside of your state,” said voter Evan Trombitas.
A 2007 federal court opinion found the practice protected under the First Amendment in California.
WFTV legal analyst Belvin Perry, a former judge, believes it’s legal in Florida.
“In this case, you have willing parties who come to a meeting of the minds and they vote,” Perry said.
Perry said exchanging money for a vote or threatening or intimidating someone to a vote a certain way is illegal.
The idea of vote trading traces back to the 2000 presidential election in Florida, when Democrats worries about Ralph Nader getting votes from Al Gore supporters.
But what’s changed since then is the advance of the internet and social media.
Perry said vote trading relies on the honor system and with secret ballots, there’s not way to know for sure that each side lives up to their promise.
Because of that, there are no numbers on how often vote trading happens.
Cox Media Group
