Off to vote . . . and then, maybe shoes
Voter numbers are scant in Miami Beach. So to get the election spirit going, the city government is motivating its citizens through an incentive program -- using discounts at select businesses. Dan Grech has more.
Shoppers in Miami Beach (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
TEXT OF STORY
Scott Jagow: It's the first Tuesday in November, and yes, there are elections today -- a lot of state and local ones. Fewer than 1 in 5 people are expected to vote. So one city is basically bribing them. Dan Grech reports.
Dan Grech: Your typical Miami Beach election draws fewer people than a slow night at a South Beach club.
To turn that around, the City of Miami Beach is offering a financial incentive to vote. A 10 percent discount at participating businesses if you register, and 15 percent off if you actually vote.
Rebecca Wakefield: Whether people are motivated by a sense of civic duty or basic human greed -- you know, whatever works.
Rebecca Wakefield runs DoubletheVote.com, a local voter information website. She says it would be illegal for Miami Beach to actually pay people to vote.
Wakefield: So I guess they sort of skirt the issue there. Because it's not, "Here, vote for this guy, here's 10 bucks." It's a little more subtle than that.
More than 100 businesses are taking part, including jewelry stores, pet shops -- even Deja Vu's Love Boutique.
I'm Dan Grech for Marketplace.
