It’s that time of year again. It’s the spookiest season, when terror strikes in the hearts of millions in our fair state. That’s right–it’s election season.
But one thing you don’t have to fear this year is finding a ride to the polls. Throughout the state, a variety of partisan, non-partisan, and state/locally sponsored initiatives are offering numerous options for free rides to the polls, expanding election access at a crucial time.
Not all services are equal. There’s variance in availability across the board depending on where you live, and some services only operate on Election Day while others will take you straight to the polls as soon as right now (go, go, go!!).
Below is a list (by location and not comprehensive) of some options for free rides that were found at the time of research:
- Hampton Roads:
- Hampton Roads Transit will not collect fares for its bus, light rail, ferry, and paratransit services as a public service to the citizens in the region. Visit this link for more information.
- Arlington County:
- The Arlington County Democratic Committee is offering free rides to the polls on election day. To sign up, Email info@arlingtondemocrats.org or call 703-528-8588
- Virginia (State-wide):
- Ride Share 2 Vote, a non-profit ride-share program across multiple states, is offering rides beginning October 30th. You can request a ride at this link.
- Richmond Metro Area:
- The A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) is hosting “All Souls to the Polls”, a ride-share program in the Richmond metro area beginning October 27th. The dates and times for this service are as follows:
- Saturday, October 28th, 9 AM-4 PM
- Friday, November 3rd, 10 AM-4 PM
- Saturday, November 4th, 9 AM-4 PM
- Tuesday, November 7th, 9 AM-6 PM
- You can request a ride by calling (804) 228-1744 or emailing cvaapri@gmail.com
- The A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) is hosting “All Souls to the Polls”, a ride-share program in the Richmond metro area beginning October 27th. The dates and times for this service are as follows:
- Northern Virginia:
- Center For Common Ground & the Northern Virginia Democracy Center has free rides to the polls are available from Oct 20nd through Nov 7th. Call 843-890-2992
Again, this list is not comprehensive. This is simply a collection of resources that we were able to find at the time of writing. For other alternatives, consider reaching out to local campaigns–many offer rides to those who inquire.
If you’re still trying to figure out who to vote for or just want some more information ahead of Election Day, consider checking out our Progressive Voters Guide. We took a look at every election happening at every level throughout the state and wrote up some essential information on the candidates. It’s a good resource to help determine whether a candidate fits your ideals or not and makes the process of researching candidate positions much more accessible.