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.

BikeLNK – Lincoln, Nebraska

Visit BikeLNK to learn more.

Bird

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

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.

Boulder B-cycle – Boulder, CO

Visit Boulder B-cycle to learn more.

Bublr – Milwaukee, WI

Visit Bublr to learn more.

Citrix Cycle – Raleigh, NC

Visit Citrix Cycle to learn more.

Fort Worth Bike Sharing – Fort Worth, TX

Visit Fort Worth Bike Sharing to learn more. 

Gotcha

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

Healthy Ride – Pittsburgh, PA

Visit Healthy Ride to learn more.

Heartland B-cycle – Omaha, NE

Visit HeartlandBcycle to learn more.

Houston B-cycle – Houston, TX

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

Howard County Bikeshare – Maryland

Visit Howard County Bikeshare to learn more.

Indego Bike Share – Philadelphia, PA

Visit Indego to learn more.

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.

MoGo Bike Share – Detroit, MI

Visit MoGo Bike Share to learn more. 

PikeRide – Colorado Springs, CO

Visit PikeRide to learn more.

Spin

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

This Machine – Tulsa, OK

Note: This code works for voting on Election Day, too! Visit This Machine to learn more.

ValleyBike – Springfield, MA

Massachusetts riders, you can find these bikes in Holyoke, Amherst, South Hadley, Northampton and Springfield. Visit ValleyBike to learn more.

The Better Bike Share Partnership is a JPB Foundation-funded collaboration between the City of Philadelphia, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the PeopleForBikes Foundation to build equitable and replicable bike share systems. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or sign up for our weekly newsletter. Story tip? Write farrah@peopleforbikes.org.

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