Cab companies and Apps are playing an important role on Election Day in the USA. Just take these examples from Buffalo and Detroit. In Buffalo two Western New York organizations are teaming up to make sure everyone makes their way to the polls on Election Day.
Whether you can’t find child care, you don’t have a car, or you’re finances are tight, there’s a way to make your vote count.
If you can’t find a way to get to your polling place, Liberty Cab will drive you there and back for free. President Bill Yuhnke told WIVB4: “There should be no reason for a person not to get out and vote. Especially if transportation is the issue to get you there.” The company is teaming up with the Clean Air Coalition. Executive Director Rachel Newberry said, “If this is one less thing that they need to think about that day, that means that we did our job.”
The Clean Air Coalition has been registering new voters in Buffalo and the Town of Tonawanda since August. For some people this may be their first time voting. But community members are often strapped with different issues that could keep them from the polls.
Newberry said, “It’s a very crucial election. There are a lot of issues on the table that impact peoples lives, peoples health, peoples ability to be safe in their communities and we hope people understand this is the time to get out and vote.”
So these leaders want to make sure this election is all inclusive. Yuhnke said, “Bring your kids to the polls, the disabled community we have 17- wheelchair accessible vehicles. So even if you’re in a wheelchair, we can get you to vote this coming Tuesday.” Other companies across the country are jumping on board with this idea too.
Attention millennials, especially those living in cities. Don’t panic if it comes down to late Tuesday afternoon. There are no excuses for not voting. Not work hours. Not weather. Not lack of wheels.
Uber, Lyft, Google, Zipcar and Maven are offering special discounts or promotions to enable voters of all ages to get to their polling places on time, writes the Detroit Free Press/Chicago Tribune.
Uber and Google are offering an „in-app“ feature that will help you locate your polling location and then seamlessly request a ride with just the push of a button.
When you open the Uber app Tuesday, you’ll see a reminder to get out and vote. Then by tapping the „Find Your Polling Place“ button, which takes you a site with a Google-generated list of nearest polling stations. Next step: requesting a ride to get there.
If you have managed to never take an Uber and will be requesting a ride for the first time, enter the code VOTETODAY to get $20 off.
Lyft, in recognition that we are electing the nation’s 45th president, will offer a 45% discount on one ride between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. for metro Detroit passengers. All Detroit Lyft users can access this promotion through the Deal of the Week e-mail they receive Sunday night.
If you’ve never used Lyft before, just download the app and use the code NOVEMBER8TH to receive $5 off your first 10 rides. On the car-sharing front, Zipcar will make 74 cars available for free between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday night. But remember, polls close at 8 p.m. One must be a Zipcar member to use the service. Members can reserve free Zipcars on the mobile app or online starting today through Tuesday. New members can join instantly by downloading the app.
Zipcar spokeswoman Katelyn Chesley said there will be 26 free cars at the company’s stations in the city of Detroit, one at Metro Airport, three in Dearborn, one in Flint, and 43 in Ann Arbor.
General Motors‘ Maven ride-sharing business will offer $5 off all day, according to GM spokeswoman Annalisa Bluhm. No one, however, will be able to complete his or her ballot by app. That must be done the old-school way.
