Election Day is November 5th and many states have already been voting for weeks. This season the most important ride you take could be the one to your local polling center to cast your vote. I know sometimes politics can be deflating and voting can seem inconsequential, but nothing gets better when good people sit on the sidelines. I’n some ways I’ve heard it said that if you don’t vote you lose your ability to complain about the outcome. Democracy works best when we all participate and exercise the freedom to vote that was fought for in several iterations by so many before us.

Transportation is a huge deal in voting. A study by professors from Harvard University and Boston University found that “66% of voters with access to a car voted in the 2018 general election, compared to only 36% who did not, a 30 percentage point gap.” That’s an astonishing difference that can predominantly affect young people, the elderly and those in urban areas who are less likely to own a vehicle.

“66% of voters with access to a car voted in the 2018 general election, compared to only 36% who did not, a 30 percentage point gap.”

Driving Turnout: The Effect of Car Ownership on Electoral Participation (https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/jdbk/files/drivers_turnout.pdf)

To help with this companies like Uber and Lyft have up to 50% discounts ($10 max) on rides to your local polling center to cast your ballot on Election Day. You can also check for local groups that may be offering 100% free rides in your area through a quick Google search. Many of these organizations offer rides during early voting and not just election day. Also, be a neighbor, if you know a friend or a fellow student without transportation it could be a great opportunity to invite them to go to the polls together.

This election season please get out and vote. I cannot guarantee the country’s problems will be fixed or even be better regardless of which candidate wins, but our democracy loses when our voices stay silent. You may not like any of the choices, but they’re the choices we have and one will be our President for the next 4 years. If nothing else, choose the one that you dislike the least or maybe the one you think would be the most fun to spend the day with at a theme park 🙂