Controversial Candidate’s Giveaways Face Scrutiny
A candidate from the left wing running for the New York state House of Representatives has stirred up controversy by offering World Cup tickets to campaign volunteers and free ice cream to early voters. This initiative reportedly conflicts with federal election laws, as well as FIFA regulations.
Experts indicate that the incentives provided by Dalializa Avila Chevalier’s unconventional campaign may violate Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules, which clearly prohibit offering perks to volunteers or compensation like free meals in return for increased voter turnout.
“It looks like they’re basically paying people to vote, which, of course, is illegal,” commented Jerry Goldfeder, a professor at Fordham Law School.
Avila Chevalier is challenging long-serving Congressman Adriano Espaillat in New York’s 13th Congressional District. Her campaign shared an ice cream offer on Instagram, stating, “Ice cream for NY-13 early voters!” along with a cheerful emoji-filled message urging voters to “vote early and save your stickers!”
The post also encouraged people to visit canvassing locations in West, Central, or East Harlem and show their voting stickers to receive a token for Sugar Hill Creamery to claim their free ice cream. The post added, “*Toppings, cones, and other options will cost extra,” topped with a red heart emoji.
On the previous day, Avila Chevalier had shared through her campaign’s official account that volunteers could win tickets to a World Cup match set for June 27 between Panama and England.
The message read, “Canvas to Daria Ariza for a chance to win a prime seat ticket to the World Cup,” instructing volunteers to collect trading cards for each completed canvassing shift to enter a drawing.
The FEC specifies that it’s illegal to provide payments or gifts in exchange for votes, with the Department of Justice categorizing “payment” as anything of monetary value, such as food items. The FEC’s rules also clarify that once an unpaid volunteer accepts gifts or money, they no longer retain their volunteer status within the organization.
“This campaign may not pay for admission to sporting events, concerts, plays, or other forms of entertainment,” is stated on the FEC’s guidelines page.
Currently, it remains unclear if Avila Chevalier’s campaign funded the World Cup tickets or the Sugar Hill Creamery tokens, as recent financial transactions have not been disclosed. Just promoting campaigns and offering rewards could potentially breach FEC regulations.
Chris Coffey, a partner at a political consulting firm, observed, “They’re either unaware of the rules or simply don’t care.” He added that if the opposing candidate had made similar offers, there would likely be protests outside Espaillat’s office.
Another Democratic operative, who chose to remain unnamed, emphasized the need for candidates to tread carefully when incentivizing volunteer actions, suggesting that these tactics could be legally dubious.
The FEC has not provided comments regarding the situation. Meanwhile, Avila Chevalier’s camp has not responded to inquiries from FIFA and Sugar Hill Creamery.
Endorsed by Mayor Zoran Mamdani in the upcoming July 23 Democratic primary, Avila Chevalier is also pursued as a doctoral candidate and works as an investigator for the Legal Aid Society, offering legal assistance.
Recently, she faced backlash after older social media posts surfaced, one of which labeled America a “terrible disgrace.” In a recent poll from a pro-Espaillat group, Avila Chevalier is shown to have a slight lead, with just an eight-point margin (35% to 27%). As early voting is already underway, the official voting day is set for Tuesday.
