Offering voters a free drink or discount could bring felony charges in Lake County, the county clerk and state's attorney warned. The joint advisory, issued three weeks before the Nov. 3 general election, applies to businesses across the county, including in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff.

Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega and State's Attorney Eric Rinehart announced the warning Monday, Oct. 12, in Waukegan. They reminded businesses, campaign organizers and community groups that giving anything of value to influence a vote violates both Illinois and federal law.

Rinehart said people cannot provide incentives to others for voting, whether before or after the vote occurs, according to the Chicago Tribune. "We can only thank people with our words or a handshake," Rinehart said.

Vega said during the 2025 municipal elections, his office received multiple reports of businesses in the Waukegan and Round Lake areas offering free drinks, meals or discounts to customers who showed an "I Voted" sticker or a receipt proving they cast a ballot.

"You could tell from the signs on the property who they supported," Vega said, according to the Tribune.

Vega said he did not know whether the people making those offers realized they were breaking the law.

What the law says

Under the Illinois Election Code (10 ILCS 5/29-1), it is a Class 4 felony to knowingly give, lend or promise anything of value to influence a person to vote, register to vote, or vote for or against any candidate or ballot question. A Class 4 felony carries one to three years in prison, Lake McHenry Scanner reported.

Federal law also makes it a crime to offer or accept a payment to vote or to vote for a specific candidate in an election involving a federal candidate. Federal violations can result in fines or up to one year in prison, with sentences up to two years for willful violations.

The county offices said initiatives that condition benefits on proof of voting may inadvertently violate those laws.

No violations reported this cycle

Rinehart said in a text on Oct. 13 that no irregularities had been reported so far this election cycle. Both officials said the timing was right for a preemptive reminder, given the problems reported in 2025.

The State's Attorney's Office issued a similar warning in March 2025 after the Clerk's Office received reports of businesses offering incentives in the Waukegan and Round Lake areas ahead of the April 1, 2025, consolidated election.

Both Vega and Rinehart urged anyone involved with campaigns or voter-engagement efforts to consult an attorney before launching promotions. Formal complaints about alleged Election Code violations will be referred to law enforcement for review.

How to vote

Mail-in voting is already underway. Early voting has been available at the Lake County Clerk's Office in the lobby of the Lake County Main Courthouse, 18 North County St. in Waukegan, since Sept. 24. Early voting expands to 17 additional sites across the county starting Oct. 19 and runs through Nov. 2.

Grace period registration, which allows same-day registration and voting, is available at the Clerk's Office through Oct. 16, at early voting sites from Oct. 19 through Nov. 2 and at any polling place on Election Day. It requires two forms of identification, one showing a current Lake County address.

Residents with a valid Illinois driver's license or state ID can still register online through the Illinois State Board of Elections through Oct. 18. Registered voters can apply to vote by mail through Oct. 29.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3. Lake County voters can cast a ballot at any voting site in the county.