In an effort to get more people to the polls this Election Day, Metro Los Angeles will be providing free rides on all their trains, buses, and metro share bikes all day long. Ride-share services will also offer discounts for riders on Tuesday.
According to a survey from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, about half of the people who did not vote in California in the 2016 elections said transportation issues play a role in their decisions of not voting.
"Mid-elections usually have a lower turnout…Itʻs our way of kind of saying thanks, try to get out to vote, and give people access to transportation that they may need," Metro Spokesperson Rick Jager said.
Metroʻs free ride service may be helpful for Metro rider Jeremy Levin, who said he catches the Metro to everywhere he needs to go.
"I donʻt have a car and I live in LA, so I donʻt think I would be getting anywhere without it," Levin said.
Other transportation organizations are also making an effort to get more people to vote. Lyft and Uber will be providing discounted rides to the polls.
Uber will be offering $10 off a single ride to the polls on Election Day for Express Pool, which is the most affordable option available in Los Angeles.
Lyft will give a one-time 50 percent off promo code up to $5 off any Lyft ride to a polling location.
"Every voice is important, and weʻre excited to help make them heard in this yearʻs elections," Lyft said in a statement to Annenberg Media.
According to USC political science professor Robert Shrum, Uber and Lyftʻs discounted ride service may potentially benefit Democrats because these companies mainly serve younger voters.
"I think there are gonna be people who otherwise might not have taken the trouble to drive to the polls or take public transit to the polls who gonna just call a Lyft or an uber and say Iʻm going to my polling place…and thatʻs going to make a difference," Shrum said.
A free ride from Metro could make a big difference for Jeremy Levin.
"Iʻd say that now is a pretty prominent time to speak for what you believe in," Levin said. "The world is definitely in a spot where we need the voice of our generation to be representing it."
Anyone interested in getting a ride to the polls from Lyft can get a promo code online. Once you have reached the site, you may type in your zip code and receive the promo code. The Election Day promo code for Uber is VOTE2018 and the promo code for metro bikes 1162018. Both the Lyft and Uber applications will have settings to help users find their polling locations on Election Day. More details on getting a ride to the polls can be found on the Lyft, Uber, and Metro websites.