With record turnout across the country, many voters had to wait in long lines for hours to participate in the 2016 Presidential election on Tuesday.
But at least in some cases, they didn’t have to skip a meal for democracy.
A group of Twitter-based online activists calling themselves Pizza to the Polls sent more than $323,000 worth of pies and counting to waiting voters across the country.
“Americans are hungry for democracy and are turning out in record numbers to vote. But that means long lines and sometimes empty stomachs, which might discourage these brave patriots from performing their civic duty,” the group wrote on its website.
US Election results 2016 live: Polls start closing as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump bid to become President
We just passed $40k raised and 2000 ordered.
Y’all are heroes but this is bonkers. Maybe we shouldn’t make people wait in line so long? pic.twitter.com/5jwwMEMLni
— Pizza to the Polls (@PizzaToThePolls) November 9, 2016
“Fortunately Pizza to the Polls is here to deliver the one thing that pairs so perfectly with freedom: piping hot ‘za.”
Pizza to the Polls experimented with sending free pizzas to voters in lines during early voting over the weekend.
By Tuesday, it went into full force, tracking reports of long lines on Twitter, and responding with gifts of free pizza.
We’ve got 20 x-large ones comin hot to NCCU. Stay strong, but don’t stay hungry, Durham! https://t.co/7Rh2ABG9wJ
— Pizza to the Polls (@PizzaToThePolls) November 9, 2016
Pizza to the Polls was launched with support from the Americans Against Billionaires with Tiny Hands PAC, a group that made fun on Trump’s campaign.
Unlike those efforts, Pizza to the Polls called itself non-partisan. And in tweets, the group even said that it instructed pizza delivery people to also feed non-voters.
UPDATE: @PizzaToThePolls is legit!! 20 Avalanche pizzas sent to Baker Center. pic.twitter.com/RvwZY27xNz
— Conor (@condormorris) November 8, 2016
The group also started to take donations on its website Tuesday, which helped it to quadruple its pizza budget throughout the day.
As for any money that could be left over by the end of the day, Pizza to the Polls said it will donate it charities.
“Every dollar collected will go towards feeding hungry Americans,” the group said on its website.
