Election Day 2016 presented a unique landscape of promotional offers for voters in Chicago and across the nation. Businesses, from national chains to local establishments, sought to engage citizens during the civic process with a variety of deals, discounts, and freebies. These offers often required proof of voting, typically in the form of an "I Voted" sticker, and spanned categories including food and beverage, retail, and even transportation. However, the availability of these promotions was not uniform, and legal considerations played a significant role in how some businesses structured their offers. This guide examines the types of freebies and deals available to Chicago consumers during the 2016 election cycle, based on contemporary reports and official announcements.
Food and Beverage Promotions
A significant portion of Election Day 2016 promotions centered on food and beverage, with both local Chicago spots and national chains offering incentives.
National and Local Restaurant Deals
Several restaurants provided special offers for voters. Krispy Kreme announced that any guest wearing an "I Voted" sticker or wristband at participating U.S. shops on November 8 would receive one free doughnut of their choice, with no coupon necessary. This was a popular recurring promotion from the brand during election years.
Marco's Pizza offered a voucher for a free medium one-topping pizza to those who cast their vote on Election Day. This deal was valid at all participating locations nationwide.
Chuck E. Cheese provided a free personal-size pepperoni pizza with any pizza purchase when customers mentioned coupon code #5253.
Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken gave away free regular-size sides to anyone with a sticker or wristband on Election Day. The company noted that federal law prohibited them from explicitly rewarding people for their votes, so they could not require the "I Voted" sticker, but the offer was intended for voters.
California Tortilla locations, including the Suntree store, offered free chips and queso with any purchase. Customers were required to use a specific phrase when ordering, such as "I vote for queso," "Make queso great again," or "I'm with Queso."
Bob Evans provided a 30% discount on any dine-in or carryout order after 2 p.m. on Election Day at participating locations.
HopCat, including the Port St. Lucie location, gave away free orders of "Crack Fries" with any purchase to celebrate Election Day. This deal was available to everyone, and locations planned to watch election returns after polls closed.
Firehouse Subs offered a free medium drink to customers who showed their "I Voted" sticker.
&pizza provided free drinks for anyone who had cast their vote.
White Castle offered a free gallon of iced tea with the purchase of a Crave Case. This required presenting a coupon in the restaurant or using the promo code "USA" for online orders.
Chicago-Specific Establishments
Local Chicago bars and restaurants also participated. Cody's Public House in Lakeview offered a free custom Cody's sticker to guests who showed their "I Voted" sticker. They also featured drink specials, including $3 Hamms, $3 PBR, $3 Old Style tall boys, and $5 Malort.
The Getaway in Lincoln Square hosted a special "night before the election" show on November 4, 2016, which included complimentary bites and wine samples for attendees.
Coffee and Convenience Stores
7-Eleven customers with the 7-Eleven mobile app could get a free coffee of any size at participating stores on Election Day.
Retail and Apparel Offers
Retailers also joined in with promotions tied to the election. Macy's offered an extra 20% off via coupon code "VOTE" during its Election Day Sale. Customers could choose in-store pickup to avoid shipping fees, and free shipping was available on orders of $50 or more, though exclusions applied. The deal ended on November 9.
Evelyn & Arthur, a women's clothing retailer with a Sewall's Point location, was closed on Election Day to raise awareness about voting. When stores reopened on Wednesday, shoppers who provided proof of voting—either a photo taken outside the polls or their voting sticker—received 20% off one item.
Gold's Gym allowed members to bring a valid "I Voted" sticker for free access to their local Gold's Gym on Election Day.
Product and Brand Freebies
Several brands offered free products through social media engagement or specific actions.
Bobo's offered a coupon for a free vegan, gluten-free oat bar by sharing that you voted on social media. To receive the coupon, users had to tag @eatbobos on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and use #GetOatTheVote, while supplies lasted.
Chameleon Cold-Brew provided a voucher for a free 10-ounce Chameleon Cold-Brew when customers posted a selfie with their "I Voted" sticker on Instagram. To get the freebie, users needed to tag @ChameleonColdBrew and use #FuelTheVote.
Transportation and Ride-Sharing
Ride-sharing services aimed to reduce transportation barriers to polling places.
Uber offered $10 off a single ride to the polls on Election Day on the most affordable Uber option available in a user's city (Express POOL, POOL, or UberX, in that order). The most recent version of the Uber app was needed, and users had to enter the promotional code VOTE2018.
Lyft provided 50% off or up to $5 off rides across the country and free rides to underserved communities. To get a discount, users could enter their zip code on Lyft's partner, Buzzfeed's website.
Lime offered code LIME2VOTE18 to unlock its fleet of shared bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters for a free ride to and from polling locations, up to 30 minutes, in more than 100 cities.
Zipcar made over 7,000 Zipcars free on election night from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. local time to #DRIVEtheVOTE. Members could reserve cars starting at 9 a.m. on November 3 up to Election Day.
Legal Considerations and Offer Modifications
A key theme in Election Day 2016 promotions was the legal framework surrounding them. Federal law prohibits offering free items in exchange for proof of voting when federal candidates are on the ballot. This led to some businesses modifying their offers.
The Field Museum in Chicago initially offered free admission to anyone who showed an "I Voted" sticker. However, the museum changed its offer to free admission for anyone in Illinois after legal guidance. A spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners stated, "Under the law, you can’t offer anything of value in connection with registering to vote or voting."
Similarly, Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken emphasized that they could not explicitly reward votes due to federal law, though their free side offer was widely understood to be for voters.
Conclusion
Election Day 2016 offered a diverse array of freebies and deals for consumers in Chicago and beyond, ranging from free doughnuts and coffee to discounted retail items and transportation. While many promotions required an "I Voted" sticker or proof of voting, businesses navigated federal election laws by sometimes broadening their offers or using creative phrasing. Consumers were able to access these deals by participating in social media campaigns, using mobile apps, or simply presenting their voting stickers at participating locations. The variety of offers reflected a broader trend of businesses engaging with civic events to connect with customers.