A judge ordered all parties, including Elon Musk, to attend a court hearing in Philadelphia on Thursday (Oct 31) in a lawsuit seeking to stop a political action committee controlled by the billionaire from awarding US$1 million (S$1.3 million) to registered US voters in battleground states ahead of the Nov 5 US election.

The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office filed the lawsuit on Monday. It called the giveaway by Musk's America PAC, which backs Republican former President Donald Trump, an "illegal lottery" that enticed Pennsylvania residents to share personal data.

"It is further ordered that all parties must be present at the time of the hearing," a judge wrote on Wednesday in an order with the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The hearing in the case was moved up to Thursday morning from Friday.

Trump faces Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in what polls show to be a tight race for the White House.

A representative for America PAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk's representatives have not responded to requests for comment.

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