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

Alexis Simmerman and Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY NETWORK
·5 min read

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

Lyft and Uber are both offering half-off rideshare costs up to $10 on Election Day. Here's what we know.

Uber offers 50% off rides to polls

Uber announced Monday it will offer half-off rides to voting polls 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 poll with the discount unless they are in California or Georgia. The offer works between 4 a.m. local time on Nov. 5 and expires at 11:59 p.m. local time.

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

"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 Uber, 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 Nov. 5 for rideshare, bikeshare or scooter rides, according to the company. The code is only valid between 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. in every time zone.

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"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 like 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 the following non-profit groups:

  • When We All Vote (WWAV)

  • National Voter Registration Day (NVRD)

  • National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)

  • League of Women Voters (LVW)

  • Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

  • National Council on Aging (NCOA)

  • Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)

  • Hispanic Federation

  • Grita! Canta! Vota!

  • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

  • National Urban League (NUL)

  • VoteRiders

  • Students Learn Students Vote Coalition (SLSV)

  • Power the Polls, National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS)

  • Easterseals Inc.

  • Human Rights Campaign Foundation

  • YMCA

Lyft reports those without cars are less likely to vote

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

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The rideshare company's recent "Economic Impact Report" shows almost three 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 (MIT). In a 2022 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 780,000 people identified "transportation problems" as their primary barrier to voting. Over 40% of non-voters also cited transportation-related obstacles like inconvenient polling locations, bad weather and the time required to vote.

Lyft says it strives to reduce that gap in voting access. Populations with low turnout rates — like those with lower income, people of color and people with disabilities — are also more likely to take advantage of Lyft's rideshare 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 a one-mile increase in the distance to a polling side can reduce turnout by as much as 20% — and this especially impacts Texas voters.

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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).

University of Texas students wait in line to cast their ballots at the UT Union Building during the early voting period Wednesday October 23, 2024.
University of Texas students wait in line to cast their ballots at the UT Union Building during the early voting period Wednesday October 23, 2024.

Meanwhile, the shortest rides are in Rhode Island (2.8 miles), New Hampshire (3 miles) and Washington D.C (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