Indianapolis Election Day 2018 Free Food And Transportation Offers For Voters

The 2018 Midterm Election brought with it not only important political decisions but also numerous promotional offers from businesses across Indianapolis. Restaurants, food chains, and transportation services provided incentives for voters to participate in the democratic process through free food, discounted items, and transportation assistance. These offers ranged from complimentary cookies and fries to discounted rides to polling stations, providing both practical benefits and thank-yous for civic participation. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Election Day 2018 freebies and discounts available to voters in Indianapolis.

Food and Beverage Offers

Multiple food establishments in the Indianapolis area offered special deals on Election Day 2018 and in the days following. These offers varied in their requirements, with some requiring proof of voting while others were available to all customers during the specified period.

Restaurants with Election Day Promotions

Several national and regional restaurant chains provided special offers specifically tied to Election Day:

Potbelly Sandwich Shop - Offer: Free cookie with any purchase - Period: Available on Election Day (November 6) and the following day (November 7) - Requirements: No proof of voting was necessary; customers simply needed to ask for the free cookie - Note: This offer was extended beyond Election Day in some locations

Jersey Mike's Subs - Offer: $2 discount off any regular sub - Period: Available through November 7, 2018 - Requirements: Customers needed to join the email club to receive the discount - Note: This offer was available both on Election Day and extended through November 7

Hungry Howie's Pizza - Offer: Free medium one-topping pizza with the purchase of a large pizza - Period: Available through November 7, 2018 - Requirements: Customers needed to use the code "SAVE18" when ordering - Note: This promotion was available for several days surrounding Election Day

Shake Shack - Offer: Free fries with any purchase - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers could either show an "I Voted" sticker in-store or use the code "ivoted" in the chain's app - Note: This offer was specifically tied to Election Day participation

Additional Food and Beverage Options

Several other establishments provided Election Day specials that would have been available to Indianapolis residents:

Taco John's - Offer: Free order of chips and nacho cheese - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to access the Taco John's reward app to find the offer - Note: This promotion was specifically available through the company's app

Lemonade - Offer: Free cup of lemonade with any purchase - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to be wearing an "I Voted" sticker - Note: This fast-casual chain offered this promotion nationwide

Baked By Melissa - Offer: Free cupcake with "I Voted" sticker - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to show an "I Voted" sticker at a physical location - Additional Offer: 10% off online orders with code "IVOTED2018" through November 7 - Note: This promotion combined in-store and online offers

Jeni's Ice Creams - Offer: Extra free scoop of ice cream - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to inform staff that they had voted - Note: This promotion was available at scoop shop locations

Joe Coffee Company - Offer: Free 12oz cup of drip coffee - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to show an "I Voted" sticker - Note: This NYC-based coffee chain offered this promotion to encourage voter participation

Baskin-Robbins - Offer: Buy one get one for 99 cents ice cream cones - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: No proof of voting was necessary - Note: This promotion was available without needing to show an "I Voted" sticker

Blaze Pizza - Offer: Free delivery when ordering online or through the app via DoorDash - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Order needed to be placed through DoorDash - Note: This promotion was available for Election Day only

Pizza to the Polls - Offer: Free pizza delivery for voters waiting in line at polling stations - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Voters could request pizza delivery through the organization's program - Note: This non-profit initiative aimed to support voters waiting in long lines

Applebee's - Offer: $2 Bud Lights - Period: Every day in November 2018 - Requirements: None specified beyond ordering the drink - Note: This was part of the restaurant's monthly promotion rather than an Election Day specific offer

Sonic Drive-In - Offer: Half-price drinks and 99-cent corn dogs - Period: Daily from 2-4pm - Requirements: None specified beyond visiting during the specified hours - Note: This was an ongoing daily promotion that would have been available on Election Day

Transportation Offers

Several transportation services provided discounted or free rides to polling stations on Election Day 2018, addressing potential barriers to voting for Indianapolis residents.

Uber - Offer: $10 off a single ride to the polls - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to use the code "VOTE2018" when booking their ride - Note: This promotion was available nationwide to help voters get to polling stations

Lyft - Offer: 50% off or up to $5 off rides - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to use the code "VOTEMD2018" when booking - Note: This promotion was designed to make transportation to polling stations more affordable

Lime - Offer: Free ride to and from voting locations - Period: November 6, 2018 (Election Day) - Requirements: Customers needed to use the code "LIME2VOTE18" in the Lime app - Note: This promotion provided access to Lime's bikes and e-scooters for free transportation to polling stations

How to Access These Offers

To take advantage of these Election Day 2018 offers in Indianapolis, voters needed to follow specific redemption methods:

Restaurant Offers

1. In-Person Offers: For restaurants like Potbelly, Shake Shack, and Baked By Melissa, customers needed to:

   • Visit the physical location
   • Make a qualifying purchase (where required)
   • Show an "I Voted" sticker (where required)
   • Request the promotional item

2. App-Based Offers: For restaurants like Taco John's, customers needed to:

   • Download or open the restaurant's rewards app
   • Navigate to the promotions section
   • Locate and activate the Election Day offer
   • Redeem the offer when making a purchase

3. Code-Based Offers: For restaurants like Hungry Howie's, customers needed to:

   • Place an order online or by phone
   • Use the specified promotional code at checkout
   • Complete the qualifying purchase (such as buying a large pizza to get a medium one free)

Transportation Offers

To access transportation discounts on Election Day:

1. Uber Rides:

   • Open the Uber app
   • Enter the destination as the polling station
   • Apply the code "VOTE2018"
   • Request the ride
   • Receive $10 off the fare

2. Lyft Rides:

   • Open the Lyft app
   • Set the destination to the polling station
   • Apply the code "VOTEMD2018"
   • Request the ride
   • Receive either 50% off or up to $5 off the fare

3. Lime Transportation:

   • Open the Lime app
   • Enter the code "LIME2VOTE18"
   • Locate and unlock a Lime bike or e-scooter
   • Use the vehicle for transportation to and from polling stations
   • Enjoy unlimited three-hour trips within a 24-hour period

Special Considerations

Several factors affected how voters could access these Election Day offers:

Proof of Voting Requirements - Some offers required customers to show an "I Voted" sticker received at polling stations - Others, like Potbelly's free cookie and Baskin-Robbins' ice cream promotion, did not require proof of voting - Voters needed to be prepared with their sticker if they intended to access offers that required it

Geographic Limitations - While many offers were available nationwide, some were region-specific - Offers from Indiana-based businesses like Hungry Howie's were explicitly available to Indianapolis residents - Transportation offers like Lime were location-dependent based on service area availability

Time Restrictions - Most Election Day offers were only available on November 6, 2018 - Some offers, like those from Potbelly and Jersey Mike's, were extended through November 7 - Daily promotions like Sonic's 2-4pm deal had specific time windows within Election Day

Digital Requirements - Many offers required access to smartphone apps or digital codes - Voters without smartphones or app access needed to call businesses directly or visit locations in person - Some transportation services required downloading specific apps before Election Day

Conclusion

The 2018 Midterm Election in Indianapolis was accompanied by numerous promotional offers designed to encourage voter participation. These offers spanned multiple categories including food, beverages, and transportation, providing practical incentives for citizens to exercise their right to vote. Restaurant chains from Potbelly and Shake Shack to local favorites like Hungry Howie's provided free food or discounts, while transportation services like Uber, Lyft, and Lime offered discounted or free rides to polling stations.

The availability of these offers varied in their requirements, with some needing proof of voting through "I Voted" stickers, others requiring app downloads or promotional codes, and some being available to all customers during specified periods. These promotions not only provided immediate benefits to voters but also demonstrated how businesses could support civic engagement through targeted marketing initiatives.

For Indianapolis residents in 2018, these Election Day offers provided additional motivation to participate in the democratic process while enjoying complimentary food and assistance with transportation to polling stations. The combination of civic duty with tangible benefits created a win-win scenario that potentially increased voter turnout while simultaneously rewarding businesses for their community engagement.

Sources

1. Election Day Deals Get Freebies Discounts If You Vote
2. What You Need to Know Before You Vote
3. Midterm Election Day 2018 Free Food Deals