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BrewDog Is Tackling 'Voter Apathy' By Giving Away Free Beer

BrewDog Is Tackling 'Voter Apathy' By Giving Away Free Beer

Like you needed another reason to vote?!

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay

Voting and drinking are pretty similar things. You have to be 18 to take part, and the day after you've done either, you can feel great or... well, terrible. It all depends on the outcome.

Independent craft brewer, BrewDog, has decided to tackle the issue of voter apathy head on. In the 2015 general election, 34% of registered voters did not cast a ballot. They were nicknamed the 'unheard third'.

But why?! If you've gone to the effort of registering to vote, why would you not head over to the polling station and make your voice heard?

Well, BrewDog reckons that an incentive is needed, and it's offering free beer to all voters who turn up to the polls.

via GIPHY

James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog commented: "The political scene could do with more candour and honesty and recent political polls have been spectacularly off target, so we're running the first ever poll with added craft beer.

"We believe everyone is more truthful and candid with a beer in their hand and we're confident the results taken from outside our bars across the country will provide a more accurate picture of voting intention than any of the usual boring polls."

So basically, if you take a photo of yourself outside of your polling station and show it to the staff at any BrewDog bar, you'll get yourself a free drink. Easy, right?

Don't take a picture of your ballot paper though, whatever you do. There's nothing in the law that specifically says you can't snap a selfie while in the polling booth, but taking a photo of a ballot paper's unique identification number is against the rules. Plus, it's illegal to reveal how someone else has voted, so if you take a selfie, you may inadvertently snap what someone else is doing. It's safer to not get your phone out at all.James added: "Whatever your views, whatever your status, every vote was created equal. An election is a key moment for those that feel marginalized or under-represented to stand up and be counted; so we want to encourage and reward those making their voices heard on 8th June."

BrewDog will also be conducting a poll of its own. On 7th June (the day before voting day) some of their bar staff will be taking to the streets and asking people how they intend to vote. The data will be collated and the craft brewer will 'call' the results of the election prior to the polling stations opening.

Don't worry if you don't manage to get down on Polling Day, as the offer extends to Friday 9th June. In a statement, BrewDog said that this is "when the electorate can either celebrate or commiserate the results with the free beer offer."

Legends. Fair play to them.

Now make sure you go out and vote.

Featured Image Credit: BrewDog

Topics: Voting