You can get free and discounted rides to the polls on Election Day in Michigan

BY ANNA LIZ NICHOLS, MICHIGAN ADVANCE

MICHIGAN—With less than a week until Election Day, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is reminding Michiganders who haven’t voted early to make a plan for traveling to the polls.

A list of nonpartisan organizations offering free or discounted rides to the polls on Nov. 5 around the state is available here.

Lack of transportation is one of an array of reasons individuals don’t end up casting their ballot. After the Legislature lifted the ban on hiring transportation for non-disabled voters to go to the polls last year, Benson said in a news release this week she’s glad to see organizations working to improve voter access.

“It’s important that transportation not stand in the way of any eligible Michigan citizen and their access to the ballot box,” Benson said. “I’m glad lawmakers worked to lift the ban on providing rides to voting locations and grateful to the organizations who have stepped up to provide transportation for citizens who need it to vote. These services will be essential for many, especially older citizens and voters with disabilities, to ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard in this election.”

The Department of State notes that public transportation agencies around the state stand ready to continue the operations that allow Michiganders to make it to polling locations. Mid-Michigan’s Capital Area Transportation Authority has provided free rides on Election Day since 1988, CATA Board Chair Nathan Triplett, noted in a news release.

Voters can take CATA transportation to early voting locations and ballot drop boxes for free during early voting until Election Day, they just have to alert the driver.

“After voters approved Proposal 2 in 2022, establishing their constitutional right to cast an early vote in every statewide and federal election, the value of public transportation to promote greater voter participation, and improve equity and access to the ballot box for all eligible voters, became more significant than ever before,” Triplett said. “Our core competency — to provide safe and reliable transportation to the public — is especially important to those who do not have or cannot afford transportation. Transportation should never be a barrier to participate in democracy.”

Ride-sharing companies like Lyft and Uber 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 VOTE24 and Uber offering 50% off rides to polling places on Election Day.

Detroit Bus Company (DBC) is also connecting Detroiters to free rides to the polls using buses and volunteers using personal vehicles, to take those living in Detroit, Highland Park or Hamtramck to their polling locations on Election Day.

“Voting is one of the most essential acts we can do as citizens,” DBC Owner Andy Didorosi said. “We will have also done our duty as a local transportation organization if we can help even a handful of Detroiters of any creed make the journey on voting day who otherwise wouldn’t be able to do so. That’s a win in my book.”

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This coverage was republished from Michigan Advance pursuant to a Creative Commons license.