@ squirbel: Even if something or someone paid Starbuck’s to launch that campaign, it was deemed illegal. So in the end, Starbuck’s had to give away a free cup of coffee to anyone who walked in the store. This was to ensure that no party was able to gain advantage from it. For instance, let’s say Starbuck’s new that its customers were 65% Republican and 32% Democrat. If they gave free coffee to voters only, they would be swinging the vote. It could even be seen as bribing voters. Now, of course, even if there is a party difference in Starbuck’s customers, it’s probably less than 1%, but the principle still stood.
Instead, it became ”Happy Voting Day!”