Hampton Roads Transit one of several services in Virginia providing free rides to the polls

RICHMOND — Candidates don’t always have an easy road to victory on Election Day, but neither do some citizens who want to get to the polls.

Almost 2.5% of people surveyed by the U.S. Census reported transportation as the main roadblock to voting in the 2020 presidential election. The biggest reason people gave for not voting when surveyed by the U.S. Census was “not interested,” at 17.6% of respondents.

Political parties and rideshare services in past years have offered free rides or discounts to help people get to big ticket elections. The Lyft Voting Access program offered a 50% discount code last year, but the service is only active during federal elections. A spokesperson said that nationwide over 3 million people utilized it last year. Uber also offered a discount during the midterm elections last year.

Yet, the Virginia election this year will have as much, if not more, impact with seats open at the local and state levels.

All 140 seats in the General Assembly are open, in addition to hundreds of candidates vying for school board and local seats, such as sheriff, commonwealth’s attorney, board of supervisors and more.

There are a few efforts to get voters to the polls, but not as many as in previous years. Voter reform measures passed in recent years could be a reason. Now there is no-excuse absentee voting, a 45-day early voting period and a permanent absentee voter registration list.

Candidates and parties have leaned into early voting as their strategy to drive voters to the polls. Organizing rides to the polls can be “complicated and problematic,” while encouraging voters to vote early is an easier process, according to Alex Keena, an associate political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“If you can get somebody to vote before Election Day, then you’ve dramatically increased the odds,” Keena said.

Accessibility still remains an issue for some voters. People aged 65 and up were the most likely not to vote due to lack of transportation, according to Census data. But people between the ages of 18-24 and 45-64 also cited transportation as an issue.

Some people prefer to vote in person over mail-in ballots. In the 2020 federal election, over half of the nation’s voters went to the polls, according to the Census.

Rich Anderson is chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. The need to offer transportation for voters is a “minimal issue” due to the presence of mail-in ballots, according to Anderson.

“Most campaigns and candidates will happily assist mobility-challenged voters in getting to the polls,”Anderson stated. “They can also assist in requesting and casting a main-in ballot.”

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Statewide transportation options:

Anderson encouraged people in need of a ride to email their local Republican Committee; the contact information for the district chairmans is available on its website.

Rideshare2Vote is a Democratic-backed organization that offers voters free rides to the polls. Their program serves 14 U.S. states, including Virginia. It launched in 2018 and came to Virginia in 2021.

The service runs from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7 in approximately 30 Virginia districts, including some ranked competitive races that are a toss-up. Individuals can book on Ride2Share’s website or call the phone number 888-977-2250.

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Northern region:

Arlington County provides the email and phone number of Democratic and Republican party representatives who will help arrange transportation.

The phone number for the Democratic committee is 703-528-8588 and the phone number for the Republican committee is 703-677-8217.

Eastern region:

Hampton Roads Transit will offer free transportation throughout six cities and will not collect fares for its bus, ferry, light rail and paratransit.

Central Virginia:

Greater Richmond Transit Company is a free option of transportation until June 2024. Since they waived bus fees, they do not have an Election Day initiative like in past years.

GRTC and its bus rapid transit line, the Pulse, have an app and online map that displays bus routes. Routes pass through several areas that have polling locations.

Here are just a few:

• Route 1 runs every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturdays. It stops near John Marshall High School (House District 79, Senate District 14) and Ginter Park Presbyterian Church (HD 78, SD 14).
• GRTC route 2A make several stops in the Forest Hill area, including a polling location at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church (HD 77, SD 15).
• The Richmond Pulse runs every 15 minutes on weekdays and Saturday and will have stops near City Hall, which provides early voting for all city districts.
• 8th and 9th Districts Richmond voters could have a new casino in their backyard, depending on the outcome of a ballot referendum. Voters can use 1A, 1B, or 1C; 2C; or 3A, 3B or 3C to help get to several polling locations.

The Democratic Party of Virginia has a voter protection team to help individuals book a ride to the polls. It partnered with Rideshare2Vote to offer rides in Henrico County, according to Aaron Mukerjee, a member of the voter protection team. There are three races being closely watched in Henrico this year, HD 57, HD 58 and SD 16.

The proposed Richmond Grand Resort and Casino has helped connect voters with a ride to the polls. The pro-casino campaign has also connected voters with barbecue and food, regardless of a voter’s decision on the referendum, according to Axios.

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Southern region:

Some districts are covered by the Ride2Share program, including Brunswick, Dinwiddie, Isle of Wight, and Surry.

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Western region:

Some districts are covered by the Ride2Share program, including Amherst, Bedford and Bristol.

The last day to vote early in person is on Nov. 4. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 7.

Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Media and Culture. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.