Election Day 2018 Freebies and Deals for Voters

The 2018 midterm elections prompted a variety of businesses across the United States to offer free products, discounts, and special deals to individuals who participated in the voting process. These promotions were designed to encourage civic engagement and provide incentives for voters heading to the polls on Election Day. Offers generally fell into two categories: transportation assistance to and from polling places, and food and beverage rewards requiring proof of voting, typically in the form of an "I Voted" sticker or a promo code. While some deals were national in scope, others were specific to local regions or participating locations. The following is a comprehensive overview of the freebies and deals available during the 2018 election cycle, based on verified reports from that time.

Transportation and Travel Incentives

A significant number of companies focused on removing transportation barriers to voting. These offers ranged from discounted rideshares to free public transit and bike rentals.

Rideshare and Car Rental Services

Uber and Lyft were the most prominent national providers of election day transportation incentives. Both companies offered specific promo codes to facilitate rides to polling locations.

Uber: Uber provided $10 off a single ride to the polls on Election Day. To redeem this offer, users needed to enter the promo code VOTE2018 in the Uber app. This offer was widely reported across multiple sources, including those focused on the Los Angeles, Boston, Cleveland, and Detroit metropolitan areas.
Lyft: Lyft offered 50 percent off rides to most voting locations nationwide. In some specific regions, such as the Detroit metro area, the discount was structured as "50 percent off or up to $5 off." A specific promo code, VOTEMD2018, was mentioned for use in the Detroit area. Additionally, Lyft announced it would provide free rides to underserved communities facing significant transportation obstacles.
Zipcar: The car-sharing service Zipcar offered a $20 credit toward a future trip for members who took a "Ziptrip" on Election Day. In the Boston area, this offer was specifically valid for rentals taken between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. on November 6, 2018.

Bike-Sharing and Micro-Mobility

Bike-sharing services also participated by offering free or discounted rides to and from polling places.

Lime: Lime offered free rides on its bikes and scooters for up to 30 minutes. To use the service, riders were required to enter the promo code LIME2VOTE18 or LIME2VOTE2018. This offer was intended to cover travel to and from polling locations.
Motivate: This company, which operates bike-sharing services in various cities, offered a free day pass. Users needed to apply a specific code for their area to claim this benefit.

Public Transit

In certain municipalities, public transportation systems were made free for Election Day to ensure all citizens had access to the polls.

Los Angeles Metro: Metro trains, buses, and bike shares in Los Angeles were free on Election Day. This policy also extended to Long Beach Transit, Baldwin Park Transit, Pasadena Transit, and Santa Clarita Transit.
WeGo Public Transit: In Nashville, WeGo buses were completely free on Election Day, allowing voters to travel to their polling locations without cost.

Food and Beverage Rewards

Many restaurants, cafes, and food brands offered free items or discounts to customers who presented an "I Voted" sticker or used a specific promo code. These offers ranged from free cookies and coffee to full meals and snacks.

National and Chain Restaurant Offers

Several national restaurant chains promoted Election Day specials available at participating locations across the country.

Shake Shack: Shake Shack offered free fries with any purchase. Customers could redeem this by showing an "I Voted" sticker at the counter or by entering the code ivoted or IVOTED in the Shake Shack app.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Potbelly provided a free cookie with any entree purchase. This offer was valid on Election Day and the following day (Wednesday). Customers could show their "I Voted" sticker or simply request the free cookie.
Corner Bakery Cafe: Participating locations offered a free brewed or cold brewed coffee of any size with a purchase. This required showing an "I Voted" sticker.
7-Eleven: Voters could receive a free cup of coffee on Election Day through the 7-Eleven mobile app.
Biggby Coffee: While not entirely free, Biggby Coffee offered a tall drink for $0.99 to customers who showed their "I Voted" sticker.
Jersey Mike's: This sub sandwich chain offered $2 off any regular sub on Election Day.
Blaze Pizza: Blaze Pizza provided free delivery for orders placed through its app.

Local and Regional Restaurant Offers

In addition to national chains, many local restaurants offered unique incentives for voters.

Boston Area:
- Island Creek Oyster Bar: Offered a free crispy oyster slider with an "I Voted" sticker.
- Row 34: Provided two free oysters with an "I Voted" sticker.
- Oak Long Bar: Offered 10 percent off the food bill with an "I Voted" sticker.
- Best Burger Bar: Offered free fries with the purchase of a burger or sandwich.
Los Angeles Area:
- 1933 Group Bars: A group of bars in Los Angeles offered $1 Moscow Mules or Old Fashioneds from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for anyone with an "I Voted" sticker.
Detroit Area:
- HopCat: Served free orders of "crack fries" to all patrons.
- The Apparatus Room: Offered $1 off draft Stroh's beer with an "I Voted" sticker.
- Brooklyn Street Local: Provided free vegan cupcakes upon showing a sticker.
Nashville Area:
- Barista Parlor: Offered a free drip coffee at any location (excluding airports) with an "I Voted" sticker.
- A specific location at 2028 Lindell Ave: Provided a free any-sized coffee or 50 percent off any food item with a sticker.

Food Product Promotions

Some food brands ran promotions that required social media engagement or website sign-ups in addition to voting.

Krispy Kreme: The doughnut chain offered two dozen doughnuts for $13 to rewards members on both Tuesday and Wednesday. An email coupon was required to access this deal.
Bobo's Oat Bars: This brand offered a free oat bar to participants who voted, posted about it on social media using the hashtag #GetOatTheVote and tagging @eatbobos, and filled out a form on the Bobo's website.

Retail and Other Consumer Goods Discounts

Beyond food and transportation, a limited number of retailers offered discounts to voters.

Allswell: The mattress brand offered 10 percent off with the promo code VOTE.
J. Crew: J. Crew offered 20 percent off an order for customers who presented an "I Voted" sticker in-store.
Anthology: This retailer offered a free cup of coffee with a sticker.
CBD Retailer (Nashville): A store at 1006 Gallatin Ave. offered 20 percent off the entire purchase for in-store visitors who showed proof of voting (sticker or social media post). This offer was valid until November 3rd, encompassing Election Day.

Contests and Sweepstakes

Some promotions went beyond simple discounts, offering entry into contests for larger prizes.

Contiki: The travel company offered one lucky voter an international excursion. To enter, participants had to post a picture with an "I Voted" sticker or mail-in ballot on Instagram, using the hashtag #votewithnoregrets.

Eligibility and Redemption Rules

Accessing these Election Day freebies generally required specific actions from the consumer. The most common requirement was the presentation of an "I Voted" sticker, which served as physical proof of participation. For digital offers, promo codes were essential. Codes such as VOTE2018 (Uber), LIME2VOTE18 (Lime), and ivoted (Shake Shack) had to be entered into the appropriate app or website to activate the discount.

Many food offers were conditional on a purchase. For example, Shake Shack required a purchase to receive free fries, Potbelly required an entree purchase for a free cookie, and Corner Bakery required a purchase for a free coffee. This structure allowed businesses to drive sales while still providing a value-added incentive to voters.

It is important to note that while these offers were designed to encourage voting, businesses were careful to avoid illegal practices. Generally, the law prohibits offering incentives specifically in exchange for a vote. The offers were framed as encouragement for the act of voting itself, rather than as a reward for voting for a particular candidate or party.

Conclusion

The 2018 Election Day saw a broad coalition of businesses—from national rideshare giants to local coffee shops—participate in promoting civic engagement through freebies and deals. These offers primarily focused on facilitating transportation to polling places and rewarding voters with food and retail discounts. The availability of these promotions varied by location and required consumers to take specific actions, such as presenting an "I Voted" sticker or using designated promo codes. While these incentives provided tangible benefits to voters, they also served as a marketing tool for brands to align themselves with civic participation and reach a wide audience on a significant national day.