Uber, Lyft offer 50% off rides to polls on Election Day. Here's why it matters in Texas

Two of the country's largest ride-sharing companies are offering steep discounts on transportation to and from voting polls.

Lyft and Uber are both offering half-off ride-sharing costs up to $10 on Election Day.

Here's what we know:

Uber offers 50% off rides to polls

Uber announced Monday that it will offer half-off rides to voting sites on Election Day, up to a $10 discount.

Using a new "Go Vote" tile displayed on the app, users can book a ride to the nearest polling place with the discount unless they are in California or Georgia. The offer will work from 4 a.m. local time until 11:59 p.m. local time Tuesday.

The company will also offer 25% off food orders up to $15 with a minimum order of $25.

"At Uber, we believe transportation shouldn’t be a barrier for any eligible citizen to vote," the company stated in a news release. "So with Election Day just around the corner, we’re here to make it as effortless as possible as you begin to make your plan to vote."

Lyft to offer half-off rides on Election Day, part of 'Voting Access Program'

Like its competitor, Lyft is also advertising 50% discounts on Election Day rides, up to $10.

Last week, the company announced the discounts as part of its "Voting Access Program." Users can preload the code, VOTE24, on or before Tuesday for ride-sharing, bike-sharing or scooter rides, according to the company. The code is valid between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. in every time zone.

"Lyft believes transportation access should never be a barrier for any citizen seeking to vote," Lyft Chief Policy Officer Jerry Golden said in a news release. "Our Voting Access Program reflects our commitment to being a force for good, and we’re proud to encourage riders and drivers to exercise their fundamental right to vote, regardless of income, zip code, or political affiliation."

The app will also feature election-themed visuals on its home screen, icons and messaging on voting day. After users apply the Election Day code, red, white and blue confetti will appear on their screens, the company said.

The company said it is working with several nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations such as the Democracy Reinvestment Fund to offer discounted rides. It also joined a coalition with Levi Strauss & Co. and Showtime/MTV to support 500,000 community college students with both voter registration and turnout by 2028.

Lyft will also offer free or discounted rides to communities that face transportation barriers by partnering with these nonprofit groups:

• When We All Vote

• National Voter Registration Day

• National Council of Negro Women

• League of Women Voters

• Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

• National Council on Aging

• Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote

• Hispanic Federation

• Grita! Canta! Vota!

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

• National Urban League

• VoteRiders

• Students Learn Students Vote Coalition

• Power the Polls, National Down Syndrome Society

• Easterseals Inc.

• Human Rights Campaign Foundation

• YMCA

Those without cars are less likely to vote, Lyft reports

Along with its Election Day discounts, Lyft released a report last month on how transportation affects voter turnout.

The ride-sharing company's recent Economic Impact Report shows almost 3 million people have recently used Lyft to register to vote, drop off a ballot or go to the polls. Though 2020 is the only presidential election on which Lyft has data, numbers show there were 10% more Lyft rides on Election Day 2020 than on an average Tuesday in the fall. The midyear election of 2022 prompted a 20% increase in first-time Lyft rides to common polling locations such as libraries, schools, and civic and religious buildings.

Almost half of eligible voters did not cast a ballot in 2020, according to a report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In a 2022 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 780,000 people identified "transportation problems" as their primary barrier to voting. More than 40% of nonvoters also cited transportation-related obstacles such as inconvenient polling locations, bad weather and the time required to vote.

Lyft said it strives to reduce that gap in voting access. Populations with low turnout rates — such as those with lower income people, people of color and people with disabilities — are also more likely to take advantage of Lyft's ride-sharing services. The company's data also shows the number of people using Lyft for voting purposes increases according to the competitiveness of the race.

Texas has longest drives to polling sites, according to Lyft

More data by Lyft reveals that a 1-mile increase in the distance to a polling site can reduce turnout by as much as 20% — and this especially affects Texas voters.

At 5.8 miles, Texas voters have the longest median drives to polling sites. The next-longest are Georgia (5.6 miles) and Mississippi (5.3 miles).

The shortest rides are in Rhode Island (2.8 miles), New Hampshire (3 miles) and Washington (3.1 miles), according to Lyft.

The report also included data on how long voters wait in line at the polls in different states and the time voters decide to vote per state. Texas voters wait in line an average of 50 minutes to one hour, and more Texans choose to vote between noon and 5 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Election Day 2024: Lyft, Uber offering 50% off rides to polls