With less than a week until Election Day, nonpartisan organizations around the state are offering free or discounted rides to the polls on Nov. 3.
Structural barriers—such as lack of transportation to the polls, keep millions of eligible Americans from participating in elections. Organizations who offer rides to the polls are trying to change that.
Research has consistently shown when voters do not have access to a car, they vote at lower rates. A study found that 29% of eligible voters who did not vote noted lack of transportation as a barrier.
Ride-sharing companies like Lyft are offering discounted rates for voters to go to the polls with Lyft offering 50% off rides to the polls on Election Day using the discount code VOTE26. This discount is available from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time. Preload the Lyft code now, and be ready to vote on Nov. 3!
“Sometimes the biggest barriers to voting aren’t about whether people want to participate, they’re about whether they can get there,” said Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters.
Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation (COAST) is a nonprofit organization that provides public transportation to the Seacoast region. It is offering free rides on any regular route to voters on their way to, or returning from, voting on Nov. 3 during polling hours. All passengers need to do is tell their driver that they are on their way to vote, or on the way back from voting, and they will not be charged for the ride.
Are you a college student? University of New Hampshire is offering rides to vote: UNH Transit will be offering shuttles to the polls on Nov. 3 starting at 7 a.m. Buses will pick up at the Holloway Commons Main Street bus stop.
Have a ride? Volunteer to give rides to the polls through VoteRun, a nonprofit civic transportation network. In order to volunteer to drive you must submit driver, vehicle, availability, consent, and provider-gated background-check information for staff review.
Election Day is Nov. 3. Voter registration deadlines vary by town and fall 6–13 days before Election Day. Contact your local election office for details.
