Riding to the Polls — Bike Share and Election Day

by Farrah Daniel, Better Bike Share Partnership Writer

October 30, 2020

Photo by Jennifer Griffin

The 2020 presidential election has been complicated by COVID-19, which is affecting the availability of polling sites, volunteer turnout and much more. The pandemic is one of a host of reasons why we need to think about mobility inequality, how it prevents millions of people in underserved communities from using their voices, and what we can do moving forward to address this issue.

It can’t be understated how important reliable transportation is on Election Day for all Americans, but especially those in marginalized and disinvested communities.

The harder it is to get to the polls, the fewer people show up and exercise their right to vote — unfortunately, most affected by the cycle of under-mobilization are minority voters, who are often vulnerable to the structural barriers that stand between them and full representation and participation in voting.

“The highest transportation hurdles emerge from deliberate strategies to keep people from voting,” writes Gabrielle Gurley. “In the voter-suppression canon, deterring a few hundred people can make all the difference in the world in determining who controls the government and who doesn’t.”

According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, 38% of youth of color said a lack of transportation played a role in their ability to vote in the 2016 election. Plus, nearly six million young people between 18 and 29 were registered to vote but didn’t cast a ballot.

No one’s right to vote should be dependent on transportation. This year, try rolling to the polls if you can access bike or scooter share near you. Shared micromobility providers have a special ability to offer safe, socially-distant transportation that’s both affordable and sustainable.

Additional Resources

👉 Arm yourself with the right information about how to vote this Election day while keeping yourself and others safe from COVID-19.

👉 Check out the PeopleForBikes ballot tracker to see which states and municipalities are advancing ballot measures that can secure funding for expanded bicycle infrastructure and improved quality and accessibility of places to ride!

Who You Can #RolltothePolls With

Here’s a list of the participating systems, including the offered Election Day promotion 👇

Bike Chattanooga – Chattanooga, TN

Visit Bike Chattanooga to learn more.

#ElectionDay is right around the corner! Need to get to the polls? 🚲

We’re offering FREE Daily Passes on November 3rd. #RollToThePolls with a $0 Daily Pass from #BikeCHA – because every #vote matters! #Chattanooga #Debates2020 #Election2020

👉 https://t.co/zKaKnenQWY pic.twitter.com/xmz5cGN93J

— Bike Chattanooga (@BikeChattanooga) October 23, 2020

BikeLNK – Lincoln, Nebraska

Visit BikeLNK to learn more.

Election Day is 1 week away, what's your voting plan? BikeLNK is offering FREE trips on November 3rd, all you need to do is use the promo code 110320 at any station kiosk. Check out our blog post at https://t.co/vvK81BKLBO for more info & make your voting plan. pic.twitter.com/gWNFYZ2Ahj

— BikeLNK (@BikeLNK) October 27, 2020

Bird

Visit Bird to learn more about where to find scooters near you.

Have you finalized your voting plan yet? We teamed up with @go_nabsa, @BikeMetro, and other micromobility partners on #RollToThePolls with a goal to help everyone #vote. Enter code VOTE2020 on #ElectionDay to receive a free Bird ride up to 30 minutes. https://t.co/P9bVouVJA2

— Bird (@BirdRide) October 16, 2020

Blue Bike SC – Columbia, South Carolina

Subscribe to this newsletter for more details about Blue Bike’s Election Day promo! Visit Blue Bike South Carolina to learn more.

https://twitter.com/BlueBikeSC/status/1321195140418097154

Boulder B-cycle – Boulder, CO

Visit Boulder B-cycle to learn more.

https://twitter.com/Boulder_Bcycle/status/1316769160139952130

Bublr – Milwaukee, WI

Visit Bublr to learn more.

In-person voting begins today! Learn about what's on the ballot https://t.co/H5YrucS7ti

For those who plan to vote in person, on Election Day, Tues., Nov. 3, Bublr will again offer FREE 30-minute rides.#BikeTheVote #LoveMKE #CivicDuty #MaskUp #BetterTomorrow #Bublr pic.twitter.com/h7Qrdl19me

— Bublr Bikes (@BublrBikes) October 20, 2020

Citrix Cycle – Raleigh, NC

Visit Citrix Cycle to learn more.

Today's the 1st day of early voting in NC! If you need help finding a location, go to https://t.co/YJcDVBLONP. Also, on Election Day, we're offering Day Passes for only $1, and rides will be extended from our usual 45 min limit, to 3 hours. We want to help you get to the polls! pic.twitter.com/dl9P9zOAXS

— Cardinal Bikeshare (@CardinalBikes) October 15, 2020

Fort Worth Bike Sharing – Fort Worth, TX

Visit Fort Worth Bike Sharing to learn more.

Election Day is one week away! Don’t forget, we are offering free rides to the polls on November 3 when you use promo code 11320 at stations or 11320APP on the our app. #rolltothepolls #votebybike #vote2020 #vote pic.twitter.com/WaUGCl0EaZ

— Fort Worth Bike Sharing (@fwbikesharing) October 27, 2020

Gotcha

Visit Gotcha to learn more about where to find bikes, scooters and cruisers near you.

We’re two weeks from election day! If you aren’t able to vote by mail, check out https://t.co/iFETpO58Iv to see how you can find free or discounted transportation and cast your ballot in person. #RollToThePolls☑️ pic.twitter.com/HsKN0JgAJH

— Gotcha (@gotchamobility) October 20, 2020

Healthy Ride – Pittsburgh, PA

Visit Healthy Ride to learn more.

Healthy Ride is breaking down barriers to voting by offering a FREE RIDE DAY for all riders on November 3rd using voucher code: VOTE2020#RollToThePolls with Healthy Ride!

Learn more: https://t.co/LJENM07Req pic.twitter.com/D2gFwKzPCu

— POGOH (@pogohbikes) October 22, 2020

Heartland B-cycle – Omaha, NE

Visit HeartlandBcycle to learn more.

Election Day is 1 week away, what's your voting plan? Heartland B-cycle is offering FREE trips on November 3rd, all you need to do is use the promo code 110320 at any station kiosk. Check out our latest blog post at https://t.co/zhVhycMZQz for more info & make your voting plan. pic.twitter.com/kBKaAY2wWy

— Heartland Bike Share (@HeartlandBcycle) October 27, 2020

Houston B-cycle – Houston, TX

Please note the code works for both early voting and Election Day! Visit Houston B-cycle to learn more.

We're back.

Free 30-minute BCycle rides to the polls until Friday.

Use code 1103 if you're at a kiosk or 1103APP if you're on mobile. A list of early voting locations is in the link below!#Vote2020 https://t.co/DgJd6vnRR4

— Houston BCycle (@HoustonBCycle) October 13, 2020

Howard County Bikeshare – Maryland

Visit Howard County Bikeshare to learn more.

As part of #RollToThePolls, we're thrilled to announce that Howard County Bike Share will offer discounted rides on #ElectionDay to make sure everyone has access to easy and inexpensive transportation to get to the polls.
More info:https://t.co/rfaTi5WESf @HoCoGov @CommuteHoward pic.twitter.com/e9murYlaw3

— Howard County Bikeshare (@HCbikeshare) October 27, 2020

Indego Bike Share – Philadelphia, PA

Visit Indego to learn more.

This Election Day, we want to provide everyone with an affordable way to get to, or near, their polling place. Enter promo VOTE2020 at https://t.co/DSf2PrWiNg to buy a Day Pass on November 3rd for $1.

*Fees apply for rides longer than 30 min or for accessing an electric bike. pic.twitter.com/lHSf0bdT5Z

— Indego (@RideIndego) October 29, 2020

Lyft

Lyft Bikes are available in these cities: the Bay Area; Chicago, IL; Columbus, OH; Metro DC; Minneapolis, MN; New York City, NY; Portland, OR; Santa Monica, CA. Visit Lyft to see the terms.

5 days until the election is still plenty of time to vote early, drop off your ballot, or plan your ride to vote. Get 50% off your ride to the polls on Nov. 3, up to $10, with code 2020VOTE.

(see terms in bio) pic.twitter.com/NhvgY9kbyr

— Lyft (@lyft) October 29, 2020

MoGo Bike Share – Detroit, MI

Visit MoGo Bike Share to learn more.

Make your vote count on November 3rd with a FREE hour of MoGo to get to the station right by your polling place. Check https://t.co/CA3hgBygSU for more info.#vote #election #bikeshare #mobility #detroit #accessibility #rolltothepolls #commuter #biketovote #mogo #mogodetroit pic.twitter.com/s6Y1FBGwq1

— MoGo Detroit (@MoGoDetroit) October 30, 2020

PikeRide – Colorado Springs, CO

Visit PikeRide to learn more.

Spin

Visit Spin to learn more about where to find scooters near you.

Election Day is 19 days away! It's time to make a plan to vote. 🗳️

We're giving riders the freedom to move to the polls. Use promo code "SPINTOVOTE" to get $10 in ride credits only on Election Day.

Learn more about our #SpinToVote campaign: https://t.co/hKFnBs6IwZ pic.twitter.com/TJ7KjPUNTO

— Spin (@ridespin) October 15, 2020