CHARLOTTE -- Dozens of companies are offering free stuff for voting on Election Day Tuesday, but that's actually illegal to do by federal law.
Criminal law attorney Corey Parton says businesses can face up to two years of jail time, plus a fine, for offering free stuff in exchange for proof of voting.
"As you can imagine that would be one tool that people would use to get around the law, if they say, ‘oh we were just giving people something of value not to vote,’ and you can obviously encourage an election by suppressing voter turnout,” said Parton.
Parton says businesses can avoid breaking the law by expanding their Election Day offer to all customers, without requiring them to vote.
He also says he has yet to see a company prosecuted for this crime.