Turnout the Vote paid “voting ambassadors” up to $200

The claim: Turnout the Vote paid people $200 to vote for Harris

An Instagram post from November 4 (direct link, archive link) includes a clip of a woman talking to the camera about a supposed money-making opportunity ahead of the presidential election.

“I got a text asking me $200 to vote for Kamala Harris,” the woman said. “Are you telling me this election isn’t rigged?”

The video shows a screenshot of a text message purporting to be from a representative of Turnout the Vote, an organization that aims to increase voter participation.

“This is your last chance to join us as a Voting Ambassador to ensure everyone knows how important it is to vote for Kamala Harris this fall,” the text message reads in part. “It’s completely remote and you can make up to $200.”

The post was liked more than 650 times a day.

More from the Fact-Check team: How we select and investigate claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Our rating: False

The organization paid individuals to work as “voting ambassadors,” but the compensation was not contingent on securing votes for Harris; this would violate federal election law. A spokesperson for Turnout the Vote also told PolitiFact that the claim is false.

Contestants could earn up to $400, but not for their vote

While the turnout is the vote openly supported Harris’ candidacythe money referenced in the Instagram post was not offered in exchange for votes for vice president.

The organization’s “Voting Ambassador” program worked to mobilize voters in the swing states of Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Participants can earn $160 for completing an onboarding program and another $40 for attending a Zoom event, according to the report. the Turnout the Vote website. They can also earn $10 “per successful referral, up to $200” for a total potential profit of $400.

Although the website encourages participants to praise Harris in their discussions with voters, the compensation was not and could not be tied to whether votes were ultimately cast for Harris.

The organization “never pays anyone to register to vote, vote in general, or vote for a particular candidate,” PolitiFact reported, citing an interview with Turnout the Vote spokesperson Greta Carnes. “The organization also does not pay people to have someone else register to vote or vote.”

Federal election law prohibits paying individuals to register to vote or vote, such as reported by USA TODAY.

Fact check: South Carolina allows disabled, senior voters to cast their ballots

USA TODAY has debunked numerous claims regarding voting, including false claims that a video shows a Haitian man describing a plot to vote for Harris multiple times in Georgia, that votes cast on ballot papers flagged by poll workers are invalid and that former President Donald Trump’s name was misspelled on an Ohio ballot can invalidate votes.

USA TODAY reached out to Turnout the Vote and the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive responses.

Check your fact has also debunked the claim.

Our fact-checking resources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. That’s possible Subscribe here to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper.

USA TODAY is one verified signer of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a proven commitment to impartiality, fairness and transparency. Our fact-checking work is supported in part by: grant from Meta.