Election Day 2018 Promotional Offers: A Guide to Freebies and Discounts for Voters

Election Day 2018, held on November 6, presented a unique landscape of promotional opportunities for consumers across the United States. Numerous brands, retailers, and service providers introduced special offers, freebies, and discounts designed to acknowledge and reward civic participation. These promotions ranged from complimentary food and beverages to discounted transportation and digital services, often requiring proof of voting, such as an "I Voted" sticker, or participation in a specific program. The following guide compiles the available offers from that period, detailing the types of promotions, eligibility requirements, and participating brands based on contemporary reports.

Overview of Election Day Promotions

The promotional landscape for Election Day 2018 was diverse, encompassing multiple categories. Offers were primarily concentrated in the food and beverage sector, with many national and regional chains providing free or discounted items. Transportation services also featured prominently, offering reduced or free rides to and from polling locations. Additional promotions included digital subscriptions, retail giveaways, and activities for families. A common thread among these offers was the requirement for consumers to demonstrate they had voted, typically by showing an "I Voted" sticker or, in some cases, through social media engagement.

It is important to note that all offers listed were specific to the 2018 election cycle. While similar promotions may recur in future election years, the details, participating brands, and redemption processes for 2018 are documented here based on the source material available. Consumers are always advised to confirm current promotions directly with the brands.

Food and Beverage Offers

The most extensive category of Election Day freebies in 2018 came from restaurants, cafes, and food chains. These offers varied from complete free items with purchase to no-cost additions or significant discounts.

Free Items with Purchase or Proof of Voting

Many establishments required customers to make a purchase or show an "I Voted" sticker to receive a free item.

Baked By Melissa: This bakery offered a free cupcake at its physical store locations on Election Day with the presentation of an "I Voted" sticker. Additionally, a 10% discount on online orders was available using the promo code IVOTED2018 on November 6 and 7.
California Tortilla: Customers could receive a free order of chips and queso with any purchase by saying "I voted" in-store on Election Day.
Corner Bakery Cafe: This cafe provided a free brewed or cold-brewed coffee with any purchase and an "I Voted" sticker on Election Day. An additional promotion for Election Day and the following day offered a buy-one-get-one-free deal on sandwiches or paninis.
Fatz Southern Kitchen: Patrons could get a free Fatz Famous Sweet Tea with the purchase of an entrée and an "I Voted" sticker on Election Day.
Lemonade: This California-based chain offered a free lemonade with any purchase for customers wearing an "I Voted" sticker on Election Day.
Twin Peaks: Guests could receive a free order of chips and queso with the purchase of a beverage by presenting a voting sticker on Election Day.

Free Items with No Purchase Required

Some brands provided free items without any purchase necessary, simply for showing proof of voting.

Birch Coffee: This coffee chain offered a free drip coffee at 10 locations in Manhattan on Election Day.
Capriotti's Sandwich Shop: Customers showing a voting sticker received $1 off any sub on Election Day.
Condado Tacos: This chain provided a free taco with the presentation of an "I Voted" sticker at participating locations.
Coolhaus: Customers could get a free "election dip" (sprinkles) on any ice cream sandwich with an "I Voted" sticker at participating locations.
ModCloth: The brand encouraged voting by shutting down its website and FitShop stores in Austin, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. on Election Day. On the following day, customers could show an "I Voted" sticker or a social media post to receive a special limited-edition "I Voted" pin and a ModCloth tote bag.
Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Originally linked to an "I Voted" sticker, this promotion evolved. For Election Day and the following day, customers could get a free cookie with any purchase by simply asking for it at participating locations.
Rubio's Coastal Grill: While primarily a discount offer, Rubio's gave all guests an "I Taco'd" sticker in honor of Election Day. The chain also offered discounted meal options, such as a $2 Fish Taco Especial or a $1.75 Original Fish Taco.

Social Media-Driven Freebies

Several brands leveraged social media to distribute freebies, requiring customers to share that they voted online.

Bobo's: Customers could get a coupon for a free vegan, gluten-free oat bar by tagging @eatbobos on social media (Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter) and using the hashtag #GetOatTheVote. The coupon would be mailed to the participant, while supplies lasted.
Chameleon Cold-Brew: This brand offered a voucher for a free 10-ounce Chameleon Cold-Brew. To receive it, participants needed to post a selfie with their "I Voted" sticker on Instagram, tag @ChameleonColdBrew, and use the hashtag #FuelTheVote.

Poll Worker-Specific Offers

Some promotions were exclusively for poll workers, requiring a valid poll worker's badge.

CAVA and Zoës Kitchen: These Mediterranean chains offered a free, healthy meal to poll workers on Election Day. A valid poll worker's badge was required to redeem the offer.
Shake Shack: From Sunday through Election Day, poll workers could get a free sandwich, such as the Shackburger or Chick'n Shack, with a valid poll worker's badge. This offer was valid for in-shack ordering only.

Other Food-Related Discounts

Jersey Mike's Subs: As part of National Sandwich Day (which coincided with Election Day), the chain offered $2 off any regular sub with a coupon. The coupon was sent to email club members and was posted on the chain's Facebook page. An app-based promotion using the code SANDDAY2OFF also provided $2 off through the following Friday.
Jimboy's Tacos: In celebration of National Nacho Day, this chain offered Ground Beef Nachos for $5.50 at participating locations on Election Day.
Krispy Kreme: Reward members could get two dozen doughnuts for $13 with an email coupon on Election Day and the following day. Choices included two dozen original glazed or one dozen glazed and one dozen assorted. Joining the loyalty program also provided a free doughnut and future offers.
Miller's Ale House: Customers could get their first beer for $1 by saying they voted. This offer was valid for a pint of a domestic draft beer or non-alcoholic beverage, one per guest, at participating locations in specific states, with an offer end time of 9 p.m. in Virginia.
Sonic Drive-In: As part of its weekly family night, Sonic offered cheeseburgers at 50% off from 5 p.m. until restaurants closed on Election Day.
Subway: This chain offered a free foot-long when purchasing two foot-long sandwiches via the app or website on Election Day. The discount would show in the cart for participating shops.
Wendy's: Through November 8, customers could get a free Classic Chicken Sandwich with any purchase by using the offer in the Wendy's app.

Transportation and Travel Services

To facilitate access to polling places, several transportation companies offered discounts or free rides on Election Day.

Rideshare and Car Rental Discounts

Getaround: This car-sharing service provided a $10 discount on Election Day rentals using the promo code GETAROUND2VOTE.
Lyft: Lyft offered 50% off or up to $5 off rides across the country. Additionally, it provided free rides to underserved communities facing transportation obstacles. To access the discount, users needed to enter their zip code on Lyft's partner website, Buzzfeed.
Uber: The service offered $10 off a single ride to the polls on Election Day for the most affordable Uber option available in the user's city (Express POOL, POOL, or UberX). The promo code VOTE2018 needed to be entered in the Uber app, which required the most recent version.

Bike Share and Public Transit

Lime: This shared mobility service offered free rides to and from polling locations, up to 30 minutes, in more than 100 cities. The promo code LIME2VOTE18 unlocked the Lime fleet of shared bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters.
Motivate Bike Share: Free rentals were available in nine urban bike share systems, including Citi Bike (NYC/Jersey City), Divvy (Chicago), Bluebikes (Boston), Capital Bikeshare (Washington D.C.), Nice Ride Minnesota (Minneapolis), Ford GoBike (Bay Area), BIKETOVOTE (Portland), and CoGo (Columbus, Ohio). The general code for a free day pass was BIKETOVOTE. Specific codes were VOTE18 for Divvy and BIKE2VOTE for BIKETOWN in Portland (which offers 30 minutes of free ride time).
Public Transit Systems: Several municipal transit systems offered free fares on Election Day, including Los Angeles' Metro, Columbia, South Carolina's COMET, Houston's Metro, and the Greensboro Transit Authority in North Carolina.

Digital and Retail Services

Beyond food and transportation, other sectors offered promotions tied to Election Day.

Scribd: New users could create an account on Election Day and receive 30 days of free access to Scribd's digital library of e-books, audiobooks, and magazines. Notably, no credit card information was required to sign up during this eligibility period.
ModCloth: As mentioned in the food section, this retailer closed its website and stores to encourage voting and offered a free "I Voted" pin and tote bag to customers who showed their sticker or social media post the following day.

Family and Educational Activities

For families seeking educational activities related to the election, some resources were highlighted as freebies.

Amazon Freebies: A list of free election-related ebooks was available on Amazon.
Free Printables and Activities: Various websites offered free election-themed coloring pages, activity books, and crafts. Examples included "Safeguard: An Electoral College Story" and general "Election Coloring and Activity Books."

Important Considerations for Consumers

When seeking or redeeming such promotional offers, consumers should be aware of several key points based on the 2018 data:

Proof of Voting: The vast majority of food and retail offers required an "I Voted" sticker or a social media post demonstrating voting participation. Without this proof, the offers were generally not available.
Participating Locations: Many promotions were valid only at "participating locations." Consumers were advised to check with their nearest location before heading out to confirm the offer's availability.
Expiration Dates: All offers were strictly for Election Day 2018 (November 6) or, in some cases, extended through November 7 or 8. They were not ongoing promotions.
Purchase Requirements: Some freebies required a purchase (e.g., free chips and queso with any purchase at California Tortilla), while others did not. It is crucial to read the terms of each offer carefully.
Geographic Restrictions: Transportation discounts and certain restaurant chains had specific geographic limitations (e.g., Miller's Ale House offers were valid in select states; Getaround's offer was available in major cities).
App and Digital Requirements: Several offers required the use of a brand's mobile app (e.g., Blaze Pizza, Uber, Wendy's) or a specific promo code entered online.
Supplies and Limits: Offers like Bobo's oat bar coupon were available "while supplies last," and some were limited to one per guest (e.g., Miller's Ale House).

Conclusion

Election Day 2018 served as a catalyst for a wide array of consumer promotions designed to reward civic engagement. The offers spanned a broad spectrum, from essential transportation to discretionary food and retail items, making participation in the democratic process a more rewarding experience for many. The key to accessing these benefits was the act of voting itself, which was often verified through a simple sticker or a social media post. While these specific promotions expired with the 2018 election cycle, they exemplify a recurring trend where brands acknowledge national events. For consumers, this underscores the importance of staying informed about potential deals during future significant dates, while always verifying current terms and conditions directly with the offering brands.