With the Nov. 5 election quickly approaching, transit agencies in Northeast Ohio are working to make voting a little easier through free rides to the polls on election day.
announced it鈥檚 partnering with Cleveland VOTES and the Cleveland Foundation to offer fare-free rides all day on election day on all Greater Cleveland RTA vehicles.
鈥淚t helps in the democratic process of allowing people to get access to where they need to vote and provides them that opportunity,鈥� said Greater Cleveland RTA spokesperson Robert Fleig said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the duty of every citizen of the United States to go vote and here鈥檚 an opportunity to help you make that happen.鈥�
Fleig said that Greater Cleveland RTA will offer free rides on all buses, trains and paratransit from 3 a.m. on November 5 and that it鈥檒l continue till 3 a.m. the following day. This is the second presidential election that the agency has offered this program.
鈥淵ou just need to get on the bus or the train and ride it that day to hopefully go out and vote,鈥� Fleig said.
has offered free bus rides for elections for the past six years. Spokesperson Grace Doyle said METRO does this so that everyone鈥檚 voice is heard during this election.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want transportation to be a barrier to be able to go and vote,鈥� Doyle said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great way to get everyone to the polls.鈥�
According to Doyle, anyone who uses ADA rides will have to call and schedule ahead to be able to use these services. But if a person uses the METRO Direct Service, all they would have to do is get on and go vote.
Transit systems like are offering a 鈥楻ide and Vote鈥� program for all residents of Lake and Geauga Counties, according to Laketran CEO Ben Capelle.
鈥淲e have done free rides to voting since 2017,鈥� Capelle said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want transportation to be a reason why someone doesn鈥檛 vote. Regardless of how they want to cast their vote, transportation shouldn鈥檛 be something that prevents a person from doing it.鈥�
Capelle said that all riders have to do is tell the bus driver that they are going to vote, and they can ride free.
鈥淚f you have to choose between my trip to the grocery story versus my trip to vote鈥� We don鈥檛 want people to be making that type of decision,鈥� Capelle said.