I went to law school because I wanted to understand how the law limits government power, and how it enables the people to hold government accountable. With the midterms coming, I'm posting a series on laws that feel relevant to current events. Today's entry is 18 U.S.C. § 597. It criminalizes anyone who "makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person…to vote for or against any candidate." Courts have generally read vote-buying laws like 18 U.S.C. § 597 to cover inducements to vote a certain way, whether or not the payment is guaranteed or contingent on an outcome....