Free rides to vote in Columbus during early voting and on Election Day

Lack of transportation to the polls is one of the reasons eligible voters aren’t able to cast their vote during an election. There are several ways to get free rides to vote at the polls for early voting and on Election Day.

If you know someone who can’t get to the polls to vote or to drop off their absentee ballot (to avoid mail delays), due to lack of transportation or mobility issues, please pass on this information! Every eligible voter deserves to be heard!

The 2020 election presents even more barriers to voting, as its more difficult to transport larger groups of voters to the polls, due to safety and distancing restrictions. In 2016, and estimated 14% of eligible voters noted transportation as a barrier to voting – that’s over 3.5 million voters who lacked the resources to get to the polls to vote.

The number could be even higher in 2020 due to distancing and public transportation capacity restrictions, as well as current job insecurity due to pandemic closures.

Transportation companies and grass-roots organizations have stepped up to ensure that everyone has a chance to get to the polls if they elected to not use mail-in voting. Some of the below transportation options are valid for early voting, ballot drop-off, and Election Day voting, while others are specific to early voting OR Election Day voting.

Please read the details carefully before Election Day, and have a backup method lined up in case demand is extra high for your preferred choice.

See more details for voting in Ohio in our Election Day and Voting Guide, or on the Ohio Secretary of State website.

Ohio Voting Guide: Central Ohio voting locations, registration, absentee/early voting, and more

Free rides to Vote on Election Day and for Early Voting

If you are looking for a ride on Election Day, remember that you will need to vote at your correct polling place. You can also drop off your absentee ballot at your County Board of Elections until Tuesday, November 3, 2020 by 7:30 p.m.

If you are homeless or recently evicted and were not able to update your voter registration in time, you can STILL VOTE via provisional ballot. See details here.

COTA Bus Service

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has offered free rides on Election Day in the past, and for 2020, COTA Bus rides continue to be free during the health crisis. COTA has suspended fares to allow for rear door boarding and to encourage social distancing. For more information, please call Customer Care at (614) 228-1776.

Plan your trip for early voting or on Election Day at COTA.com. You can also get help on determining the correct bus route by calling COTA Customer Service at (614) 228-1776. Call Center hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Community Development for All People

Voters who can get to Community Development for All People, located at 946 Parsons Avenue, can get a ride to Franklin County Board of Elections on Morse Road and back for early voting and through Election Day. Visit ForAllPeople.org for details.

For residents in 43205, 43206, 43207 zip codes
Call 614-445-7342 Ex. 22 or message on social media here

Columbus Stand Up!

Columbus Stand Up! has organized rideshare for early voting. People who want a ride to the county board of elections can call a number and schedule a pick-up to either cast their ballot in person or drop off an absentee ballot. Each ride is limited to one household, masks are required, and barriers are in place in vehicles. See more details here, as well as other services this organization provides.

To request a ride to the County Board of Elections, CALL OR TEXT 614-259-7391

Want to help? Sign up to be a poll driver!

Uber Get Out The Vote

Uber’s Get Out The Vote Efforts for 2020 include 50% off roundtrip rides to and from the polls (up to $7 each trip), or up to $14 for the two trips. It also applies on bikes and scooters. They also have voter details and links to find your polling place on the website. See details here.

The promo is valid from 12:01am PT on November 3, 2020, to 3am PT on November 4, 2020. Max discount of $7 off each ride, for a maximum of two rides. The discounts will be automatically applied when you request your ride by using the polling finder.

Hungry at the polls? Pizza to the Polls is a food truck program in partnership with Uber Eats and restaurant partners. They’re sending out food trucks in 25 cities – including Columbus – to deliver individually wrapped snacks and beverages to polling locations with long lines throughout early voting and Election Day.

Pizza to the Polls Food Trucks will be in Columbus on October 29-November 3. If you’re voting in Columbus and the lines are long, let them know and they will dispatch food trucks with free food for all who are waiting to vote. Note: we don’t know the availability or how long it takes them to respond, but if you’re standing in line and scrolling on your phone, it doesn’t hurt to submit the location to see if they show up! Click here to report long polling lines in Columbus!

Lyft 50% off on Election Day to Polling location/dropbox

Lyft’s 2020 Ride to Vote initiative offers 50% off one ride (up to $10 off) to any polling location/dropbox on election day, between the hours of 5AM – 11PM local time.

Ride availability may be limited due to demand, so plan to go as early as possible to allow extra time. Rides includes scooters, bikes and rideshare. See details here.

Lyft Ride Smart at Ohio State for students

Lyft Ride Smart at OSU will offer a free rideshare option on election day, Tues., Nov. 3. Students may use the code STUDENTSVOTE2020 to receive one free ride up to $10 to OR from their polling location. Codes will be available on a first come first serve basis and will be active from 6 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Nov. 3. To use the promo code, riders must select the “Lyft” option from the Lyft app and rides must begin and end within the designated service boundaries. Rides are limited, so be sure to have a back-up plan. You will not be able to use the promo code more than once. See boundaries and ride share details here.

Ohio State Student Life Early Voter Busing

Students who are registered to vote in Franklin County can take a free bus ride to the Franklin County Board of Elections for early voting. All buses will pick up at the 12th avenue loop on the South side of the Ohio Union. Buses will wait at the early voting center until all students have finished voting, and then drop them off at the same location they were picked up. Round trip, this should take roughly 90 minutes

Available for early voting only on Oct. 24, 26, 27. See details here.

Ohio Votes Ride to Polls Program

COHHIO Ohio Votes Ride to Polls Program is cancelled for 2020 due to health and safety concerns. They have created a list of other available resources. Contact your regional liaison about ride resources available in your area. The Columbus resource is listed below, or see more details here.

Columbus Metro Area: League of Women Voters of Metro Columbus, email Elizabeth Greiser

Roll to the Polls! Scooters Discounts and Free Rentals for Voting

The Roll to the Polls initiative allows people to get to the polls on their own without riding in someone else’s car or on the bus. The following bike and scooter rentals are available in Columbus, and are offering discounts or free rentals to the polls on Election Day and/or for early voting. See details and availability in other cities here.

Bird Rides

Free Bird scooter rides on Election Day. Simply enter code VOTE2020 on election day to receive a free Bird ride up to 30 minutes on Tuesday, November 3. The discount code is valid for US riders only. Must download the app to use Bird. See details here.

Lime e-scooter or e-bike

Lime will offer free rides to the polls. Voters can take a Lime e-scooter or e-bike for early voting in person or to drop off their ballot for free, every day until Election Day. Use code LIMETOPOLLS2020 in the Lime app to receive two free rides up to 30 minutes each to polling locations and ballot dropboxes. See details here.

Lyft/CoGo Bike Share

Lyft is the operator of the CoGo Bike Share program in Columbus. Which means CoGo bicycles are now available on the Lyft app,

Lyft will offer 50% off one ride (up to $10 off) to any polling location or dropbox, between the hours of 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. local time. Rides includes scooters, bikes and rideshare.

Ride availability may be limited due to demand, so plan to go as early as possible to allow extra time. Rides includes scooters, bikes and rideshare. See details here.

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We want everyone to have a reliable, affordable ride to the polls. On Election Day, we’ve got your wheels. Get 50% off (up to $10) your ride to the polls on Nov. 3. #RideToVote See terms (link in bio)

A post shared by CoGo Bike Share (@cogobikeshare) on Oct 27, 2020 at 9:19am PDT

Spin

Planning to vote in-person or dropping off your ballot at an official ballot drop box? Use promo code “SPINTOVOTE” to get $10 in ride credits only on Election Day (valid in most Spin markets, check the Spin app for details). Riders can use credit to go to and from their polling locations on Election Day. See full details here.

Again, we don’t care HOW you vote, or WHO you vote for, but we believe it’s important for ever eligible voter to VOTE!

While you’re out on Election Day, don’t forget to grab these Election Day freebies and discounts, including Krispy Kreme, Boston Market, and details on how to votrequest snacks while in long lines at polling places in Columbus!

Vote – and grab these Election Day deals and discounts

Free rides to vote in Columbus during early voting and on Election Day