One lucky voter in Los Angeles Unified School District's 5th school board district could receive a $25,000 cash prize just for voting in next month's runoff election, reports the L.A. Times.
Voters would be entered in a drawing for the payout, which is being offered by the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, a group that aims to boost participation by Latinos in politics.
The Times reports:
This isn't the first time financial incentives have bene proposed as a cure to dismal voter turnout in local elections. Back in June 2014, Loyola Marymount University professor (and KPCC board member) Fernando Guerra proposed a $1 million prize for voting in California. The Los Angeles Ethics Commission later discussed awarding 100 $1000 prizes to voters in local elections.The upcoming election, scheduled for May 19, will pit Bennett Kayser, the incumbent and ally of the teacher's union, against Ref Rodriguez, a charter school advocate.
Two other LAUSD school board incumbents will face challengers in runoff elections next month.