Billionaire Elon Musk has distributed $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters just days before the state’s hotly contested Supreme Court election, after the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to block the giveaway. The race could tip the court’s ideological balance in favor of Republicans.

Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, had filed a lawsuit to stop the handouts, arguing they violated state laws that prohibit offering gifts in exchange for votes. Musk’s legal team, however, maintained the checks were a form of protected political speech under the First Amendment.

At a rally on Sunday, Musk defended his actions, declaring, “We just want judges to be judges,” as he handed out two $1 million checks to attendees who had signed a petition opposing what he labeled “activist judges.”

Lower courts rejected Kaul’s legal challenge, and the state Supreme Court refused to hear the case, effectively allowing Musk’s initiative to proceed. Musk, along with former President Donald Trump, has endorsed conservative candidate Judge Brad Schimel, who is facing liberal-backed Judge Susan Crawford in the high-stakes judicial contest.

The outcome of Tuesday’s election could influence key rulings on abortion rights, voting access, and congressional redistricting in the state. Musk has contributed $14 million to support Schimel’s campaign, helping push total spending in the race beyond $81 million — a record-breaking figure for a state judicial election.

Despite Musk’s high-profile involvement, Schimel has tried to distance himself from the tech mogul’s actions, telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he was unaware of the rally or Musk’s plan to distribute funds.

This isn’t Musk’s first controversial voter initiative. Last year, he launched a campaign offering $1 million daily to voters in battleground states who supported petitions advocating for First and Second Amendment rights. That effort was ruled legal by a Pennsylvania judge, who found no evidence that it constituted an unlawful lottery.