Clearly, if you want to sell your vote in the next presidential election, you want to do it the old fashioned way through the local saloon, not on the internet. The legal troubles of this Minnesota teen attest to that.
This guy’s hijinks did, however, give us a glimpse into the market price of a vote.
The minimum bid was set at $10. Nobody bid on his item. The failure to attract bidders is consistent with the arguments that Dubner and I have made about the puzzle of why people vote. Any individual’s vote is almost certain not to determine a presidential election (especially if that vote is cast in a state like Minnesota). Thus, the market price for that vote should be essentially zero. Certainly well below ten dollars.
Of course, the fact that bidding on the item would have gotten you charged with a felony might also have discouraged bidding.
and 
. You can also watch it on 
Actually, we may vote for the same reason that we have blue eyes, or are allergic to strawberries – genetics.
Since the outcome of your election affects so many outside your borders, so greatly, perhaps its time to set up a market place outside the US, where your authorities cannot proscecute, to allow people who really care to positively influence your elections. Looking at your low voter turnout, the influence of negative attack ads and the ongoing corruption in the “democratic” process, this would likely be for the better. Its obvious that very few Americans care about this but they do care about money.
Candidates are always “buying” votes with “promises.” This is what needs to be illegal.
It will be a happy day when our politicans pass a meaningful law that effectively reins them in.
IMHO they are all power “money” hungry.
I wish Levitt and Dubner would do a study on the wealth differential, in terms of net worth, from entry to exit of a political office.
There’s also the problem that the bidder has no way to verify that the seller actually votes for the winning bidder’s chosen candidate.
Maybe no one bid because they knew the seller couldn’t (or wouldn’t) deliver.
And #7, I buy all my shoes on the internet. Try on at store, buy on Ebay for a fraction of the price.
-rdhd
i wonder if it is legal to sell my unused presidential ballot as a souvenier, after the election…
I also buy shoes on the internet, but don’t steal the fitting services from a local store first.
Steven,
I can’t believe guys as bright as you and Dubner can’t figure out the whole voting thing. Just think of it as a race to collect the most money and each person has one penny to give to either person. Would the penny be useless? If so, please immediately convert all of your money to pennies and I will be happy to come by and take all that “worthless” stuff off your hands