DETROIT (WWJ) - It's Election Day in Metro Detroit and everyone is entitled to exercise their right to get out and vote this Tuesday. But if you don't have a ride to the polls, rideshare companies are coming together to get you there.
Lyft is offering steeply discounted rides for voters on Nov. 8 while Uber is supporting free rides for poll workers.
Riders using Lyft can use the preloaded code VOTE22 for a 50% discount that gets applied to their ride on November 8. Riders will be able to access discount codes in every time zone, specifically during voting hours, for a discount of up to $10 by using the same code.
The San Francisco-based company said riders can preload or activate the code directly in the Lyft app or in the apps of our participating local bikeshare systems.
"We believe that everyone’s voice – and vote – deserves to be heard, and transportation should never be a barrier," Lyft said in a prepared statement. "That’s why this Election Day, Lyft is helping more people roll to the polls with access to discounted rideshare, bikeshare, and scooter rides."
The company said it started its Lyft’s Voting Access program after an alarming amount of Americans said transportation barriers prevented them from voting.
In 2016, an estimated 15 million people registered to vote, but never got the chance due to not having a ride.
"Throughout the primary elections, early voting, and the general election, we’re working with national nonprofit organizations to provide access to free or heavily discounted rides for communities that traditionally face barriers in getting to the polls," the company added on its blog site.
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The further address transportation issues facing underserved communities, Lyft partners with the League of Women Voters, Warrior Scholar Project, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), NAACP, and more to distribute ride codes directly to people in their networks in need of rides.
Meanwhile, fellow rideshare company Uber is focusing its efforts on supporting free rides for poll workers in 2022.
"Uber is proud to partner with Power the Polls to support our nation's poll workers with rides to and from the polls," said CR Wooters, head of federal affairs at Uber, in a press release.
The partnership will provide vouchers covering rides (up to $200) to and from the polls on Election Day for poll workers signed up through Power the Polls, the release statement.
The ride vouchers will be available from Nov. 7 through Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022.