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26 Election Day ‘I Voted’ Freebies: Rides, Food, Coffee, Drinks and More

Posted on November 6, 2018

So today is Election Tuesday in America and a lot of retail and consumer product brands and locations want to encourage people to get out and vote. To incentive the electorate, they are offering free products, rides, food and drinks

Technically, it is illegal to provide voters with incentives before or after voting in a federal election, however, I think the Feds have enough real problems to worry about these days than ruin all of our fun on a day to exercise civic duty!

I combed through several cites, Thrillest, USA Today, NYT and Business Insider and curated an ULTIMATE LIST of 26 FREEBIES for you guys.

[The ASK: Don’t click off and go share the list from the large websites. Support an independent publisher and share my curated version of all four]

Here’s the list:

FREE RIDES

• Uber is offering users a free ride to a polling place.

• Lyft is providing free and discounted rides to the polls. The free rides are being distributed through Lyft’s nonprofit and nonpartisan partners, including Voto Latino, local affiliates of the National Urban League, the National Federation of the Blind, Faith in Action, League of Women Voters and the Student Veterans of America. Lyft’s partners are determining how to distribute the rides to the users they deem most in need of transportation to the polls.

• Lime is offering a free ride to the polls, up to 30 minutes long, by providing access to their fleet of shared bikes, e-bikes and e-scooters.

• Several Y.M.C.A.s will offer free or reduced child care services for people who are voting. Contact your local Y.M.C.A. to see what is available.

• As part of Zipcar’s #DRIVEtheVOTE initiative, any member who reserves a car in the United States from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on election night will receive $20 in driving credit toward a future reservation.

• Via Metropolitan Transit, the transit agency in San Antonio, is running fare-free bus rides to encourage San Antonians to make it to the polls.

FREE FOOD, COFFEE & DRINKS

• Potbelly Sandwich Shop will be giving out free cookies on Election Day and on Wednesday (no “I Voted” sticker required).

• Shake Shack is offering a free order of crinkle-cut French fries with any purchase on Election Day. Voters can walk in and flaunt their “I Voted” sticker or use the Shake Shack app to redeem the offer.

• Corner Bakery Cafe is offering free coffee to voters who show stickers at any of its locations across 26 states.

• In Philly, coffee chain Saxbys is giving away a medium hot coffee, a medium cold brew, or a medium Groothie smoothie to anyone who comes in on Election Day.

• Toby’s Estate, also in NYC, in Brooklyn, is offering $1 drip coffee at any of its five locations on Tuesday.

• NYC’s Birch Coffee is offering a free drip coffee at any of its 10 locations on Election Day.

• Bobo‘s is offering a free oat bar if you tag @eatbobos on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and use the hashtag #GetOatTheVote.

•Chameleon Cold Brew is offering a voucher for a free 10-ounce cold brew if you post a selfie with an “I Voted” sticker, tagging @ChameleonColdBrew and using the hashtag #FuelTheVote.

•Taco John‘s is offering a free order of chips and nacho cheese with any order placed on its app. Tuesday is also National Nacho Day.

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters is offering a free coffee for canvassers, registered voters and volunteers at the polls on Election Day.

• In Los Angeles, all the 1933 Group bars are offering $1 Moscow Mules or Old Fashioneds between 5 and 7 p.m. on Election Day. The bars are Oldfields, Bigfoot Lodge, Bigfoot Lodge West, Harlowe, Sassafras, Idle Hour, Thirsty Crow, Highland Park Bowl, and La Cuevita.

• Pick up a “free election dip” on any ice cream sandwich purchase with your voting sticker at Coolhaus in Pasedena or Culver City, CA and Dallas, TX. (It’s free sprinkles.)

• Booze delivery company Drizly will help you toast your sorrows or celebrate your victory on election night. New customers get $5 off an order with the code “Election5” in Indiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas, and Washington. Take $10 off with the code “Election 10” in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Wyoming, and Washington, DC.

• You can order Blaze Pizza online using DoorDash to watch the returns come in and get free delivery

• Get a free Rice Krispie treat when you buy one at NYC’s TreatHouse at the New York location at 452 Amsterdam Ave.

• Don your “I voted” sticker and, boom, you’ll get a free order of chips and queso with the purchase of any beverage at Twin Peaks Restaurants nationwide.

• Flaunt that “I Voted” sticker at Condado in Columbus, OH, Pittsburg, PA and other locations and you’ll earn yourself a free taco.

FREE EVENTS

• The first 200 people that can show their voting-related social media post with the hashtag “I Voted” at Brooklyn Bowl in New York can catch a free show. “I Voted” stickers will not work for entry.

• The Creativity Museum in San Francisco is offering free admission to voters through Friday.

• After the Illinois State Board of Elections caught wind of its free admission offer for voters, the Field Museum in Chicago opened its gates to everyone. The museum is offering free admission for all Illinois residents on Tuesday.

FREE PRODUCTS

• The dermatologist Dr. Pimple Popper is offering a free daily moisturizer to all voters who post a selfie — while they are in line at the polls or with their “I Voted” sticker — that tags her skin care line.

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35 Election Day Free Food & Discounts!

Posted on November 8, 2016

Today is Election Day in the United States and those who vote are entitled to some perks ,discounts and free food! Check out this list of 35 places offering free donuts, burgers and even free rides to your polling place today! Many require you to show your “I Voted” sticker, but not all.

7-Eleven

Use the app to get a coffee in an extra large 7-Election Stay-Hot Cup for just $1.
& pizza

Come in, ask for a free craft soda, and they’ll give you one.
All About Burger

Get a free, single burger or chicken sandwich with your “I Voted” sticker at all three area locations.
Bananas Smoothies & Frozen Yogurt

The dessert chain is serving up an election-inspired smoothie for just 45 cents to celebrate the 45th president of the United States.
Bastille

All diners wearing an “I Voted” sticker at the Alexandria restaurant on election night will get free slice of election cake. Call 703-519-3776 for more information.
Bob Evans

Get 30 percent off your order with a coupon to be used exclusively on November 8.
The Lounge at Bourbon Steak

Everyone wearing an “I Voted” sticker gets free Freedom Fries (they’re made with duck fat).
BurgerFi

Participating locations are offering $5 Conflicted Burgers (one Angus beef patty and one veggie patty) all day.
California Tortilla

Make any purchase and get free chips and queso. Just say one of these phrases while ordering: “Make queso great again,” “I’m with queso,” or “I vote for queso.”
Chuck E. Cheese

Get a free personal size pepperoni pizza with any pizza purchase when you mention coupon code #5253.
Duffy’s Sports Grill

The Florida chain restaurant is giving out free red velvet doughnuts to customers sporting an “I Voted” sticker.
Duke’s Counter and Duke’s Grocery

Your “I Voted” sticker gets you a beer, wine, or mixed drink for just $1.
ENO Wine Bar

Show that “I Voted” sticker to get a complimentary tomato bruschetta.
Firehouse Subs

Show your “I Voted” sticker and get a medium beverage for — you guessed it — free.
Gold’s Gym

Show your valid voter registration card or “I Voted” sticker to get free admission at all locations.
Great American Cookies

Get one free cookie at participating locations when you show your “I Voted” sticker.
Hank’s Oyster Bar

Enjoy $1 select oysters on the half shell at all three locations. They’re also offering “free hugs and tissues with any purchase.”
Haute Dogs and Fries

Get an All American Dog for $2 all day.
Henry’s Majestic, Dallas: You can start early in Dallas. Starting at 11 a.m., cocktails with names like The Deleted Email and What’s Aleppo will be mixed up and ready to throw back for just $2, Eater Dallas reports. More for Dallas residents here.
Krispy Kreme

Get a free doughnut of your choice when you show up wearing your “I Voted” sticker.
Lemonade

Show your “I Voted” sticker at any Lemonade location in Los Angeles for a free 12oz lemonade.
Logan Tavern

Snack on complimentary “Campaign Trail Mix” on election night. They’ll also pass out some free, wearable goodies.
Marco’s Pizza

Go on their website on Election Day to cast your vote for Marco’s and receive a voucher for a free pizza.
Monkey Joe’s Germantown

Parents who wear their “I Voted” sticker get a discounted $5 admission for their child.
Nando’s Peri-Peri

Wear your “I Voted” sticker to get a free regular side with purchase of any entree.
Nestle Toll House Cafe

Participating locations will give you a free chocolate chip cookie for wearing your “I Voted” sticker.
Noodles & Company

After you vote for your favorite mac and cheese on the restaurant’s website, you will be granted a “Buy One, Get One” coupon.
Seasons Restaurant

Buy a breakfast entree and get a free red, white and blue Presidential Parfait with your “I Voted” sticker.
Schlotzsky’s

The restaurant chain is offering a “Buy One, Get One Free” coupon for mac and cheese.
Tijuana Flats

The Tex-Mex chain is giving out a free small side to anyone with an “I Voted” sticker.
Toppers Pizza

Get one large 2-topping pizza or a Triple Original Topperstix for $5.99 with your carry-out order.
White Castle

Receive a free gallon of iced tea when you use the code “USA” at checkout when ordering a Crave Case online.
World of Beer

Ask your server for a pint of common good, and your first select beer is just $1.
Uber

First-time users can use promo code “VOTETODAY” to get $20 off their ride, and a special in-app feature will help you find your polling place.
Zipcar

Select Zipcars are free from 6 p.m.-10 p.m. while supplies last to help people get to the polls.

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BumpNews

Election Day: 50 Ways to Teach your child about Civic Engagement

Posted on November 4, 2014

Today is election day in the United States. Beyond today and taking your child in with you to the ballot box, here are 50 other ways to teach children about the importance and value of having their voice heard:

1. Take children to the polls with you. Actually schlepping the kids down to the voting booth is a real way to show them the value and importance of voting. Have them vote on what to eat for dinner.

2. Let your child wear your “I voted” sticker to school the next day.

3. Organize a family field trip to the State House or the mayor’s office

4. Let the little ones decide what outfit to wear one day.

5. Get out a globe, give it a spin, then look up a random place on it online or at the library

6. Check out a civics book from the library and go through it with your middle school kid

7. Turn on CNN and let them watch poll results come in, at least briefly.

8. Involve them in your civic activity or volunteer effort, find a way to include your children. It helps them realize their role in society

9. Show them images of your local candidates from one of the many mailers they send

10. Talk to them about Women Suffrage or the Civil Rights Era and other groups battle to get the right to vote

11. Do some online or library research and talk to them about other forms of government in other nations.

12. Find and download a mobile or iPad app that does a great job at teaching civics and democracy

13. Nurture your budding leader. Whenever there is an opportunity for your child who may have shown to you s/he is a budding leader, encourage him or her to run for office, on the very local local level. Your kid would appreciate that the same type of work it takes to get classmates to vote for him/her as a candidate is a micro-version of what goes on in elections for higher offices.

14. Get a trivia board game or cards that includes a section about government and politics and play it with them

15. Visit historical landmarks.

16. Help them register to vote when they turn 18 years old.

17. Teach by example and let them know you are going to research issues and candidates before you vote so they can learn not to rely on others but to do the work to learn more on their own.

18. Take them to a homeless shelter so they can learn that their actions make a difference

19. Order pizza and count the toppings and determine which toppings has the most and use t hat example to teach about voting.

20. Let them volunteer. If there is a civic issue that impacts your community, talk to your child about it and about different ways to help. If you realize your child is inclined to or is interested, encourage him to lead an effort to hold a canned food drive or some other fundraising effort for the cause. It’s a great way to stoke an early interest in being a leader.

21. Let them watch the old School House Rock shorts from the 70s and 80s that teach about how a Bill becomes a law

22. Take them to a School Board meeting so they can see the importance of getting involved with those who make decisions about the schools.

23. Let them pick a topic that matters to them and encourage them to write a letter to the editor of the local paper about that issue.

24. Talk about age-appropriate issues that are in the newspaper each day.

25. Encourage them to write their local representative

26. Design a Civics Jeopardy! Game or find one online to play with them.

27. Look up info about and plan a trip to visit the oldest landmark in your town.

28. Find a charity that you and your family care about and volunteer at an event it plans to teach kids about awareness and responsibility to others.

29. Help them draft up rules for play, chores and civility in the home. Post them up on a posterboard in the kitchen so all can see.

30. Buy or make puzzles of the United States and play with them so they learn about all the different states that make up the union.

31. Talk about the differences in people, culture and topography of the different states so they appreciate the differences in different areas of their country.

32. Talk to them about different people and cultures of the world so they realize the world is a very big place.

33. Pull fun political cartoons from different papers online to look at and try to decode the message in them.

34. Create a survey and have them poll their friends and family so they learn about the importance of gauging other people’s interests and learn how polling works.

35. For the next election, encourage them to volunteer to register voters.

36. For the next election, take them to a political rally.

37. Encourage them to use their Social Media activities for good. Let the young people in your household know that even though they may not be eligible to vote yet, they could certainly encourage friends and family members they interact with who can use social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

38. Take a tour of the city council offices.

39. Take your child to a town hall meeting.

40. Download fun facts about government, the White House, Congress and local governments from online resources.

41. Talk to them about what the different parties stand for.

42. Talk to them about third party candidates and their role in elections over the years.

43. Participate in a live chat or another meet and greet opportunity with your local elected officials.

44. Talk to them about local issues that are of concern to your town, city, community or state.

45. Help them make a collage of state symbols.

46. Have them write a letter to the President.

47. Have them write a letter to a soldier.

48. Get your middle or high schooler to organize a donation drive for the soldiers.

49. Get them to memorize the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.

50. Play a game that helps them memorize the capitals of the different states.

Hopefully, one or a few of these activities will help you grow strong, indepedent thinking, civically- and socially- conscious children.

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BumpNews

Election Day: Why you should take your kid to the polls

Posted on November 4, 2014

Today is midterm elections in the United States.

All eligible and registered voters should vote and parents should, if feasible, take their kids along to the ballot box.

Many schools are off today as their buildings are used as polling places so there is nothing stopping you from schlepping them along if you are off too.

It sends a signal to your offsprings the importance of civic participation.

It also let’s them know the power of democracy and of exercising approval or disapproval of the way your city, town, village, state or country is run.

Let them wear your “I Voted” sticker to school the next day. It could spark a conversation with their teacher or other kids about the process. They can share what it was like to go vote.

Let your child be an advocate for being a good civic citizen and ambassador for democracy.

All of it helps them realize the world and their place in it is larger than the personal issues they deal with at home and at school.

It’s all a part of growing good and conscientious children.

Go vote and take your babies!!

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