Uber said Thursday that it will offer free rides to polling stations on Election Day, as well as an in-app feature that lets riders know where to cast their votes. The ride-sharing company unveiled its "Get to the Polls" feature as part of a series of initiatives to encourage riders to vote in the midterm elections on Nov. 6. Riders can enter their home address into the app, which will then identify their designated polling place. In addition, Uber is partnering with Democracy Works and #VoteTogether to provide free rides to voters, who must first obtain promo codes from one of the voting advocacy groups. ADVERTISEMENT The Uber app also will provide information throughout the next few weeks on how users can register to vote. Uber started including the information earlier this week in partnership with the When We All Vote initiative. Uber's announcement comes after its competitor, Lyft, said in August that it would partner with several voter-turnout organizations to offer discounted and free rides to the polls on Election Day, including free rides to "underserved communities that face significant obstacles to transportation." Uber and Lyft have offered similar services in previous years. The additional efforts to get voters to the polls come during what has been a heated midterm campaign. Republicans are seeking to retain control of the House, despite trailing Democrats on numerous generic congressional ballot polls. Democrats need to gain 23 seats to retake the majority in the House. Republicans are also looking to maintain or even build on their majority in the Senate, where they hold a 51-49 advantage over Democrats.<doc-sep>News Uber Will Drive You to the Polls for Free on Election Day Shutterstock Unless you've somehow avoided current affairs lately (in which case, please tell us how), you're probably hyperaware that this year's midterm elections are a big deal. As a result, there are major efforts underway all around the country and on all sides to help get out the vote on November 6. Even Uber wants more people to vote, and it's hoping to help the cause by providing free rides to the polls on Election Day. The ride-hailing behemoth announced Thursday that on Tuesday, November 6, anyone with an Uber account can use its app to quickly find their polling place and book a ride to get there (in markets where Uber is available). The "Get to the Polls" button will be available to all users, and will launch automatically when they open the app. The company is teaming up with #VoteTogether and Democracy Works, which will be providing promo codes to redeem the free rides, and said it's hoping to use its vast resources to help support the democratic process. Courtesy of Uber "Using our technology and resources, we can help make it easier for every Uber rider in the U.S. to get to their polling place at the push of a button," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a press release. "We’re also partnering with nonprofit organizations to register voters before state deadlines and provide free rides to the polls on November 6." To help get people registered ahead of time (and before their state's deadline), Uber has already deployed some in-app resources and tools for riders to use to go through the process. They'll also be emailing info on how to register to drivers and delivery partners across the country between now and Election Day, and hosting registration drives at over 125 of its Greenlight Hubs (employee/driver resource centers in many cities it operates). Say what you will of the many issues, controversies, and scandals that have plagued Uber in the past, this is an undeniably good thing for everyone right now. Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun. Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him @jwmcgauley<doc-sep>In an effort to mobilize voters and help them get their voices heard on Election Day, Uber is offering $10 off rides to the polls on the most affordable Uber option available to you in your city (Express POOL, POOL, or UberX, in that order), plus an in-app Get To The Polls button that will help users locate their polling places. And for those who cite transportation as a barrier to voting, Uber is partnering with #VoteTogether and Democracy Works to provide promo codes that will allow voters to book free rides to the polls. Uber is also providing in-app voting resources to riders and drivers via When We All Vote , as well as hosting registration drives at Greenlight Hubs around the country leading up to Election Day. (Though registration deadlines have passed in many states, click here to check if you still have time to register where you live!)<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>
Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has announced that on November 6, 2018, the company will partner with #VoteTogether and Democracy Works to provide free rides to the polls. The offer of free rides is being made because lack of transportation is one reason people cite for not voting. As Khosrowshahi explained: With the 2018 elections around the corner, many organizations and companies across the country are going the extra mile to support our democratic process. At Uber, we want to do our part, too–by helping voters register and get to the polls on Election Day. Using our technology and resources, we can help make it easier for every Uber rider in the U.S. to get to their polling place at the push of a button. We’re also partnering with nonprofit organizations to register voters before state deadlines and provide free rides to the polls on November 6. Uber will also be inserting a “Get to the Polls” button inside its app on Election Day that will allow anyone to quickly find their polling place and book a ride to it as well as partnering with When We All Vote to provide users with easy-to-use voter registration tools. Uber follows Lyft, who in August also offered 50% discounts and free rides to the polls on Election Day to those in underserved communities that face significant obstacles to transportation. As Lyft pointed out in a blog post, an estimated 15 million people were registered but didn’t vote in 2016 because of transportation issues.