Lyft will offer free rides on Election Day in November
It's hoping the offer can help address some people's transportation issues on November 6th.
Lyft wants to help you do your civic duty, so it's giving away free and discounted rides on November 6th. The ride-hailing firm has an existing free ride program for emergency situations and non-emergency ones involving veterans and job seekers. Now, it's also teaming up with Vote.org, TurboVote and Nonprofit Vote -- services that keep you informed about the elections -- to distribute 50 percent off promo codes to those who need them. It's also working with nonpartisan and nonprofit orgs, including Voto Latino and Urban League, to provide free rides to underserved communities in an effort to give them a way to exercise their right to vote these midterms.
The company has pointed out that 15 million people who were registered didn't vote in 2016, mostly because of transportation issues. A previous Pew study from 2014 found that almost half of those who don't make it to the polls come from families that make less than $30,000. By providing free and half-off rides, Lyft is hoping to provide what they need to be able to cast their ballot.
In addition to its plans for the day itself, Lyft pledges to remind users about voter registration deadlines through its social media accounts and by issuing push notifications. It will also provide drivers with voter registration handouts and will participate in online campaigns encouraging people to vote.
