The 2018 midterm elections offered U.S. consumers a unique landscape of promotional incentives designed to encourage civic participation. While federal law prohibits directly exchanging free goods for a vote, many businesses structured their offers to celebrate the act of voting itself, often requiring an "I Voted" sticker or a promo code to redeem benefits. These promotions spanned transportation, food and beverage, and various services, providing distinct advantages for voters on November 6, 2018. The availability of these deals varied significantly by location and vendor, with specific requirements for redemption that voters needed to verify before attempting to claim them.
Transportation and Mobility Offers
A significant portion of the Election Day freebies focused on facilitating travel to and from polling places. Ride-sharing companies and bike-share programs implemented aggressive discount strategies to remove transportation barriers for voters.
Ride-Sharing Discounts Major ride-sharing platforms offered substantial financial incentives for voters. Uber provided a $10 discount on a single ride to the polls using the promo code VOTE2018. Lyft countered with a 50 percent discount on rides to most voting locations. These offers were widely available across the United States, though specific terms likely required application through the respective mobile apps.
Bike-Share Programs Bike-share services also participated in Election Day promotions. Lime offered free rides on its bikes and scooters for up to 30 minutes using the promo code LIME2VOTE18. Motivate programs generally utilized the code BIKETOVOTE for a free day pass, though specific local systems had unique codes. For example, Divvy users in Chicago could use code VOTE18, while Portland's BIKETOWN used code BIKE2VOTE for 30 minutes of free ride time. Citi Bike also offered a free day pass on November 6 with the promo code BIKETOVOTE.
Public Transit and Car Services Several municipal transit systems offered free fares on Election Day. In Los Angeles, Metro trains, buses, and bike shares were free, along with Long Beach Transit, Baldwin Park Transit, Pasadena Transit, and Santa Clarita Transit. Other cities with free transit included Columbia, South Carolina (the COMET), Houston, and Greensboro, North Carolina. For those requiring personal vehicles, Zipcar offered $20 toward a future trip with an Election Day rental.
Food and Beverage Promotions
Restaurants and food retailers constituted the largest category of Election Day freebies, though the legality of these offers was a subject of discussion. According to legal expert Rick Hasen, a law professor at UC Irvine, it is illegal in elections with federal candidates on the ballot to offer free items in exchange for proof of voting. Consequently, many businesses structured offers to require a purchase or simply provided discounts upon request rather than automatic distribution.
Fast Casual and Quick Service Restaurants Shake Shack offered free fries with any purchase if a customer showed an "I Voted" sticker or used the code "ivoted" on the app. Potbelly provided a free cookie with an entree purchase on Tuesday and Wednesday. Corner Bakery Cafe offered a free brewed or cold brewed coffee (any size) with purchase by showing an "I Voted" sticker. Blaze Pizza was also noted as a participant in Election Day food offers.
Specialty Food Retailers Baked by Melissa offered a free cupcake in-store with an "I Voted" sticker and a 10 percent discount on online orders using the code IVOTED2018. Bobo's provided a coupon for a free vegan, gluten-free oat bar by sharing voting status on social media and tagging @eatbobos with the hashtag #GetOatTheVote. California Tortilla offered free chips and queso with any purchase when a customer said "I voted." Capriotti's Sandwich Shop provided $1 off any sub for showing a voting sticker. Chameleon Cold-Brew offered a voucher for a free 10-ounce product when posting a selfie with an "I Voted" sticker on Instagram.
Service and Lifestyle Offers
Beyond food and transportation, other service providers offered unique Election Day incentives.
Personal Care Cristophe Schatteman Salons offered 50 percent off hairstyling services at locations in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Beverly Hills, and Orange County on November 6. This discount applied to services that normally ranged in the $500s.
Telecommunications Credo Mobile allowed customers to make free outbound calls during the hours of open polling in their state.
Museums and Cultural Institutions The Field Museum in Chicago provided free basic admission to Illinois residents on Election Day. Initially, the museum required a voting sticker, but this requirement was removed to offer free admission to anyone in Illinois.
Legal Considerations and Offer Structure
The 2018 election cycle highlighted the legal nuances surrounding voter incentives. While businesses sought to reward civic duty, the distinction between a general promotion and an illegal inducement was critical. The Field Museum's adjustment of its offer—removing the voting sticker requirement to provide free admission to all Illinois residents—illustrates how organizations navigated these regulations. This approach allowed the museum to support the community without risking legal violations associated with conditioning benefits on proof of voting.
Geographic Variations and Verification
The availability of specific offers varied by region. The Los Angeles area saw a concentration of free public transit and bar specials, including $1 Moscow Mules or Old Fashioneds at bars owned by the 1933 Group for those with "I Voted" stickers. Conversely, cities like Chicago and Portland had specific bike-share codes. Consumers were advised to check with local locations to confirm participation, as not all branches of a national chain necessarily honored the promotions.
Conclusion
The 2018 Election Day freebies represented a diverse array of promotional strategies aimed at supporting voter participation. From free rides to the polls to complimentary food and discounted services, these offers provided tangible benefits to consumers engaging in the democratic process. While the legal framework required careful wording of these promotions, the result was a wide range of accessible deals. The primary takeaway for consumers was the importance of verifying specific terms and conditions with individual providers, as redemption requirements—ranging from promo codes to physical stickers—varied significantly across the board.