Officials say free buffet for voters violates law

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 8:24 a.m.

In an Election Day outcome with a decidedly Las Vegas twist, tens of thousands of voters feasted free at Station Casinos buffets across the valley -- apparently illegally.

As an Election Day promotion, Station gave away free buffet meals Tuesday to anyone who could produce a receipt that they voted or show a voter registration card. By mid-afternoon, state officials had told Station Casinos that the promotion was in violation of state election law.

But with advertisements and marquee signs, and an overwhelming demand, the buffets went on.

By about 3 p.m., Texas Station had fed almost 3,000 hungry voters and was planning to feed up to 4,500, buffet manager Gina Santarsiero said. On the other side of the valley, Green Valley Ranch Station had voters waiting almost two hours for their shrimp, prime rib or burritos at 5 p.m. Also in Henderson, Sunset Station had topped 3,000 by sunset.

"This ranks up there with the most popular one-day buffet promotions we've ever done," said Lesley Pittman, vice president of corporate and government relations for the local hotel chain.

But the state office charged with overseeing the elections said the casinos -- and the diners -- were breaking the law, and advised Station officials to shut the free offer down.

Station officials decided to ignore the recommendation, and the promotion continued.

The offer, said Susan Bilyeu, deputy secretary of state for elections, clearly violated election laws prohibiting intimidating or bribing voters.

"There's a message through the Legislature that they don't want people paying for others to get out and vote ... People should do it of their own free will and not to get a free breakfast," she said.

The local casino chain advertised the offer with the slogan, "Voters Feast Free." All residents had to do was show up with a voter registration card or a receipt indicating they had voted.

"The idea was to encourage people to get out to vote," Pittman said. "We asked, 'How can we encourage people to exercise their right to vote -- especially in these days of voter apathy.' And we weren't soliciting anybody's vote for any particular candidate."

That's not the point, said Steve George, spokesman for the secretary of state.

"The average person would say this is great," he said. "But there's a reason this law exists."

Bilyeu said the issue has come up before. In the 2000 elections, a clothing store in Carson City offered discounts to people with receipts indicating they had voted. In that case, a citizen sent a written complaint to the state agency. The agency wrote the store citing the state law on intimidating voters that says it is illegal to "compel, induce or prevail upon any elector to give or refrain from giving his vote." The letter asked the store to stop the sale, which it did.

The agency avoids citing the law on bribing voters because it carries with it a charge of a felony with a sentence of one to four years in prison and a fine of not more than $5,000.

"This (law) has more serious connotations so I try to stay away from that," Bilyeu said.

State law says a written complaint has to be filed with the agency for it to cite the casinos on intimidation, Bilyeu said. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, no complaint had been lodged. But the secretary of state's office sent copies of the law to Station Casinos and recommended it shut the buffets down.

"We conferred with our attorneys and didn't feel we were violating any laws," Pittman said.

So the feast went on.

Pittman said other businesses had offered promotions linked to the elections -- such as Krispy Kreme, which issued a press release Tuesday announcing it would be donating 200 dozen doughnuts to polls across the valley. She wondered about the difference between Station's offer and the others.

"A meal is a lot more blatant than a doughnut," Bilyeu said.

But for thousands of hungry voters early Tuesday night, the meal Station was offering was worth the wait in line, legal or not.

"I think it's a great idea," said Ray Dion, who was waiting at Green Valley Ranch with his family of four. "Now I just have to see if my 8 and 5 year olds have enough patience to wait for the food."