Election Day in the United States often coincides with various promotional activities by brands aiming to engage consumers or reward civic participation. While Election Day is not a federal holiday, many businesses have historically offered discounts, free products, or special deals to individuals who cast their ballots or to the general public. These promotions range from free food items to service discounts and are frequently tied to the "I Voted" sticker as a form of verification. Over the years, specific chains like Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and others have established patterns of offering these incentives, though the specifics often vary by year and location.
Historical Election Day Promotions
Promotional activity surrounding Election Day has been observed in various cycles, including the 2016 and 2020 elections. In 2016, Dunkin' Donuts announced a "Perks Week" that began on November 14, shortly following the election on November 8. While this specific week was designed to thank loyal guests, it highlighted the brand's strategy of using time-sensitive offers to drive engagement. During Perks Week, DD Perks members were eligible for daily deals, such as triple points on mobile orders on "Mobile Monday" and a free beverage after using On-the-Go mobile ordering on "WTFast Wednesday." Additionally, new members who enrolled during that week using the code PERKSWEEK received a $5 credit added to their account balance (Source 7).
For the 2020 Election Day, which took place on November 3, several brands offered specific freebies. Krispy Kreme provided a free glazed doughnut to anyone, regardless of whether they had voted or possessed an "I Voted" sticker (Source 2). This was consistent with the brand's habit of giving away signature glazed doughnuts for various civic events (Source 3). Planet Fitness offered a free workout and massage on that day to help alleviate election stress (Source 2).
Other food and beverage promotions in 2020 included offers from McDonald's, Subway, Wendy's, Jersey Mike's Subs, and Jimmy John's (Source 2). Since November 3 also coincided with National Sandwich Day, Subway and similar establishments offered savings on sub sandwiches. Additionally, Uber and Lyft provided discounted rides to polling locations to facilitate transportation for voters (Source 2).
Dunkin' Donuts and National Donut Day
While the user query specifically references Election Day, the provided source materials for Dunkin' Donuts focus primarily on National Donut Day rather than Election Day promotions. National Donut Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday of June. In 2020, Dunkin' Donuts utilized this day to launch a "Donut Party" theme, offering guests a free classic donut with the purchase of any beverage on June 5 (Source 1). To extend the celebration, Dunkin' partnered with Grubhub to offer a free half-dozen donuts on Grubhub orders of $10 or more on June 6 and June 7 (Source 1).
The source materials do not explicitly detail Dunkin' Donuts offering free donuts specifically for Election Day in 2016 or 2020. However, the brand frequently engages in promotional weeks, such as the November 2016 Perks Week, which served as a thank you to members (Source 7). During that Perks Week, the daily "WTFast Wednesday" offer provided a free beverage (200 points) when using On-the-Go mobile ordering (Source 7).
Other Election Day Food and Retail Deals
Beyond doughnuts, Election Day has seen a variety of other food and retail incentives. In 2020, IKEA offered free frozen yogurt to visitors on November 3 (Source 6). Johnny Rockets provided a free shake with any in-store purchase, provided the customer mentioned the "Free Shake" offer at the register (Source 4). Fazoli's offered a $2 discount on signature bake menu items, such as Baked Chicken Parmigiano (Source 4).
Yogurtland offered a 15% discount to customers who presented an "I Voted" sticker at participating locations in 2020 (Source 4, Source 6). Dave & Buster's was also noted as offering promotions to help ease Election Day stress (Source 4). Additionally, Pizza to the Polls, a non-profit organization, delivered pizza to polling stations with long lines, a service that began in 2016 (Source 3).
In the context of National Donut Day (which is distinct from Election Day), other brands also participated. Krispy Kreme offered free doughnuts without a purchase requirement, Papa John's offered free doughnut holes with online pizza orders, Duck Donuts offered a free classic doughnut, and Burger King introduced a Donut Whopper at select locations (Source 5).
Transportation and Service Offers
In addition to food, services have occasionally been discounted to support voters. In 2020, Uber and Lyft offered discounted rides to the polls (Source 2). Planet Fitness offered free workouts and massages (Source 2). These offers were designed to assist voters in accessing polling places or managing the stress associated with the election process.
Eligibility and Verification
A common requirement for Election Day freebies is the presentation of an "I Voted" sticker. However, some brands have made their offers more inclusive. For example, Krispy Kreme's 2020 offer required no proof of voting; the free doughnut was available to everyone (Source 2). Conversely, Yogurtland and IKEA required the sticker for their discounts or free items (Source 4, Source 6). The lack of stickers due to mail-in voting was noted as a potential hurdle, but many businesses adjusted by not strictly requiring the sticker (Source 2).
Conclusion
Election Day promotions serve as a way for brands to engage with consumers during a significant civic event. While Dunkin' Donuts is frequently associated with donut promotions, their major documented event in November 2016 was "Perks Week," which focused on loyalty rewards and mobile ordering incentives rather than specific Election Day giveaways. In 2020, brands like Krispy Kreme, IKEA, and Yogurtland offered distinct Election Day freebies, ranging from free doughnuts to percentage discounts. These offers typically require in-store visits and, in some cases, proof of voting via an "I Voted" sticker.