The rideshare company is once again making sure more people can exercise their right to vote.
This year, Lyft announced its ‘LyftUp’ Voting Access Program, which provides discounted rides on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 8) in every state. Riders can preload the code ‘VOTE22’ before election day for a 50% discount on their rideshare, bikeshare, or scooter ride to the polls on Nov. 8. Codes are valid during voting hours for a discount of up to $10. Riders can preload or activate the code directly in the Lyft app or in the apps of our participating local bikeshare systems.
Not only does the ‘LyftUp’ program provide discounted rides, but the company also donates free or heavily discounted ride codes to nonprofit partners whose communities traditionally face barriers when getting to the polls. Partners include League of Women Voters, National Federation of the Blind, Warrior Scholar Project, National Council on Aging, Voto Latino Foundation, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, and NAACP. These partners will distribute ride codes directly to people in their networks they identify as most in need of transportation.
The program also works with partners like When We All Vote, Vote.org, and the Civic Alliance to help their riders and team members register and prepare to vote.
According to the National Equity Atlas, income and wealth disparities are two reasons why people of color have less access to vehicles than white Americans. Black households are least likely to have access to a vehicle. Households headed by people of color overall are less likely than white households to have access to a vehicle in highly urbanized states but also in more rural states. Immigrant households for all racial and ethnic groups, except Black households, are more likely to lack access to a vehicle compared to their US-born counterparts. At 48 %, Native American households are the most likely to lack access to a vehicle out of all racial and ethnic groups for all ancestry and nativity breakdowns.
If you are disabled and living in Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition (WDVC) offers free rides to the polls on Election Day. Click here to see if WDVC participates in your county.
Cherita Booker Milwaukee native Cherita Booker attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has worked in various roles as a multimedia journalist since 2017. She enjoys photography, dancing, and spending time with friends and family.
