On November 3, 2020, numerous national brands and local businesses across the United States offered special promotions, freebies, and discounts to encourage voter participation and celebrate Election Day. These offers ranged from complimentary food items to discounted services, often requiring customers to present an "I Voted" sticker or utilize specific promo codes. The promotions were concentrated in the food and beverage sector, with additional offers in transportation and retail.
Many of these deals were structured to accommodate the unique circumstances of the 2020 election, including the rise of mail-in voting and public health concerns regarding in-person gatherings. Consequently, several businesses emphasized takeout options, digital redemption methods, and drive-through availability. While some offers were strictly limited to Election Day, others extended through the week or required specific actions, such as social media tagging or app usage.
National Food and Beverage Promotions
Several major restaurant chains and food retailers launched nationwide campaigns allowing voters to redeem free items or significant discounts.
Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme offered a free doughnut of choice to customers who presented an "I Voted" sticker at participating locations. The brand clarified that no proof of voting was required beyond the sticker, making the treat available to everyone to celebrate the day. Additionally, Krispy Kreme made "I Voted" stickers available to guests at their locations.
7-Eleven 7-Eleven provided a free coffee of any size to customers who utilized the 7-Eleven mobile app. This offer was valid at participating stores. 7-Eleven was also listed as a participating restaurant in Grubhub's Election Day deals, offering free delivery on orders of $15 or more.
Boston Market Boston Market participated in Grubhub's election day initiative, offering free delivery on orders of $15 or more. The chain was also highlighted in broader coverage of Election Day food specials.
California Tortilla California Tortilla offered free chips and queso with any purchase. To redeem the offer, customers needed to recite one of three specific "secret passwords": "I vote for queso," "Make queso great again," or "I'm with Queso."
Bob Evans Bob Evans offered a 30% discount on any dine-in or carryout order after 2:00 p.m. on Election Day. Customers could access this discount via a specific coupon.
Great American Cookies Great American Cookies offered one free cookie to customers who showed an "I Voted" sticker at participating shop locations.
Pieology Pieology offered a national "You Vote, You Pie" reward from November 1 to November 3, 2020. This promotion included an Election Day 2020 Bundle deal featuring two 11-inch create-your-own pizzas and a dessert for $20.20.
Natural Grocers Natural Grocers, a natural and organic grocery retailer, offered customers a free chocolate bar for voting. They also provided discounts on non-food items, specifically from their supplements and body care departments, intended to help customers de-stress.
World of Beer The World of Beer tavern chain offered a promotion where customers could mention the offer to their server on November 8 to receive their first beer for $1.
Grubhub and Seamless Grubhub and its partner Seamless offered exclusive perks on Election Day from various restaurant partners, including Applebee’s, Burger King, California Pizza Kitchen, Haagen-Dazs, PF Chang’s, 7-Eleven, Boston Market, BurgerFi, Clean Juice, Del Taco, Luna Grill, and On the Border. Some restaurants offered free delivery on orders of $15 or more, while others, such as Applebee’s, Rubio's, and Wokcano, offered free delivery on orders of $20 or more. Other participating restaurants offered discounts on the total order. Additionally, Chobani partnered with Seamless to provide up to 1,000 New York City poll workers with $40 credits for their next Seamless meal, valid for redemption until November 11, 2020. To access general Grubhub deals, customers could submit a form; upon validation, a code was sent for redemption with Seamless.
Local and Regional Restaurant Offers
In addition to national chains, specific local restaurants and regional groups offered unique incentives for voters.
San Francisco Bay Area A variety of Bay Area businesses offered "I Voted" sticker promotions: * Super Duper Burgers: This Bay Area burger chain offered a free order of fries to any patron with an "I Voted" sticker. The offer was valid on November 3, 2020, for one order per person, available to walk-up or drive-through customers. * Media Noche: The Mission District fast-casual spot offered a free order of "fuego fries" with green sauce with any menu purchase for customers with "I Voted" stickers. * Santino's Vino: This pizza restaurant offered a free dessert add-on (loukoumades) with the purchase of dinner for voters with stickers. * 1951 Coffee Company: The flagship location handed out free drip coffee all day on November 3 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. * Balboa Cafe: From 5-9 p.m. on Election Day, Balboa Cafe offered two carnitas tacos for $5 at their walk-up window. Voters with stickers received an additional $2 off. Sister restaurant White Rabbit offered barbacoa tacos for $2, also with a $2 discount for voters. * Palm House and The Dorian: These sister restaurants offered 1-cent drinks to voters who tagged @palmhousesf or @thedoriansf in an "I voted" post on Instagram. The offers were for a 1-cent slushy (Palm House) or 1-cent frosé (The Dorian) and ran through November 3, 2020. * Canela Bistro & Wine Bar: Offered a $99 election night to-go menu for two, including wine and food, with an election-themed Mad Libs book included while supplies lasted. * Shake Shack: While not a local exclusive, Shake Shack offered free burgers to badged poll workers.
Nashville Nashville-based businesses provided specific deals for voters: * Barista Parlor: Offered a free drip coffee at any location (excluding airports) on Election Day for customers with an "I Voted" sticker. * Local Coffee Shop (2028 Lindell Ave): Offered a free any-sized coffee or 50% off any food item with an "I Voted" sticker. * CBD Store (1006 Gallatin Ave): Offered 20% off the entire purchase for customers showing proof of voting (sticker or social media post). This in-store offer was valid until November 3.
Wine Country * Chef Philip Tessier: Offered an election night "happy meal" for $25, comprising a fried chicken sandwich, black truffle fries, a chocolate chip cookie, and a soda. Pickup was scheduled between 5-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Transportation and Logistics Offers
Recognizing that transportation can be a barrier to voting, several companies offered discounts and free services to help voters get to the polls.
Lyft Lyft offered a 50% discount on rides on November 3, up to a value of $10, using the promo code 2020VOTE. This initiative aimed to assist the estimated 15 million eligible voters who reportedly did not vote in the previous election due to lack of transportation.
Uber Uber provided an in-app feature to help users find their polling places and request rides. First-time customers could use the promo code VOTETODAY for $20 off their first ride.
Zipcar Zipcar offered free vehicle usage for members from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday as part of an effort to #DRIVEtheVOTE.
WeGo Public Transit WeGo Public Transit in Nashville provided completely free bus rides on Election Day, November 3, to facilitate travel to the polls.
Retail and Other Offers
CBD Store (Nashville) As noted in the Nashville section, the CBD store located at 1006 Gallatin Ave offered a 20% discount on the entire purchase for in-store visitors who showed they had voted. This offer was valid until November 3.
Natural Grocers Beyond the free chocolate bar, Natural Grocers promoted discounts on non-food items to help voters de-stress.
Conclusion
The 2020 Election Day saw a widespread effort by businesses to engage with voters through a variety of promotional offers. The majority of these deals focused on food and beverage, with major chains like Krispy Kreme, 7-Eleven, and Boston Market participating alongside a diverse array of local restaurants. Key mechanisms for redemption included the presentation of "I Voted" stickers, the use of specific promo codes, and participation in digital platforms like Grubhub. Additionally, transportation services such as Lyft, Uber, and Zipcar played a role in facilitating access to polling places through discounts and free services. These promotions collectively aimed to add a layer of incentive and convenience to the voting process.