Beer photo via Shutterstock

There’s an old joke about the political machine that used to run Albany, N.Y. On Election Day, a reporter approaches a voter waiting to enter his polling place. “What do you think of the five-dollar vote?” the reporter asks. The voter thinks for a second, shrugs his shoulders, and replies: “I think it should be raised to 10.”

This year, the five-dollar vote has been raised to beer.

Strictly speaking, one isn’t supposed to be materially rewarded for casting a ballot, but on Election Day this year, voters in D.C. and Northern Virginia will be able to cash their votes in for a cold one. Capitol City Brewing Company, a brewpub with locations in downtown Washington and Arlington will give a free beer to anyone who shows up on Election Day sporting a sticker or pin confirming that they, in fact, voted.

Moreover, the bars will also be running happy hour specials all day beginning at 11 a.m., including $3.50 draughts and $5 appetizers. So, bring your laptop and a mobile hotspot, and you can telecommute while slugging back beer all Election Day long.

This deal, however, might not be so appealing to people who choose to vote early. A spokesman for Capitol City Brewing Company tells DCist that the free beer offer applies only to customers who show up with “I voted” stickers on Election Day. Early voters who hold on to their stickers and pins for a much as two weeks can redeem them for a beer on November 6, but asking people to hold on to such a flimsy item for that long seems like a big ask. One could even say that early voters are being disenfranchised from receiving free beer.