Free stuff when you vote

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

Not that you need another reason to vote, but I know everyone loves free stuff. Has anyone heard of any other offers?

Free cup of coffee at Starbucks today if you tell them you voted.

Free ice cream at participating Ben & Jerry's from 5-8pm today.

These are both on the company websites, although I didn't check to see what local Ben & Jerry's are participating.

Comments

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Actually, starbucks is giving away free coffee to everyone, because offering goods to anyone for voting may be federally illegal (http://www.onenewsnow.com/AP/Search/Business/Default.aspx?id=309422).

[m00n.livejournal.com]

What the crap is that all about!?

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

I don't know what the law is, and I really wish these f'ing new pages would CITE something for once, but, evidently there is federal election law making illegal to offer inducements to people for voting - even if you aren't pushing a particular outcome of an election.

AH - found it: 42 USC 1973i (c)

(c) False information in registering or voting; penalties
Whoever knowingly or willfully gives false information as to his name, address or period of residence in the voting district for the purpose of establishing his eligibility to register or vote, or conspires with another individual for the purpose of encouraging his false registration to vote or illegal voting, or pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both: Provided, however, That this provision shall be applicable only to general, special, or primary elections held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, or Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

[m00n.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I found it too. It still seems a little ridiculous to me. I mean I guess you could argue that if you picked your demographics carefully then you could be said to be buying people's votes. That said, given the low turnout in the United States by comparison to other countries, and our market-based approach to *everything else* I'm skeptical of any laws that result in fewer people going to the polls. After all, high turnouts tend to favor Democrats.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

It's definitely works as if it is intended to prevent selective district targeting.

Starbucks is generally thought of as a blue company, and tends to attract typical democratic party type people - so their free coffee plan offers, statistically more inducement to democrats.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Would that cover coffee, though? I mean, they're not paying you. And it is apparently legit to offer people rides to the polls, because people do that all the time, and it's clearly an inducement to vote.