Election Day: Uber will offer discounted rides to polling locations

Uber

Uber offered a status update on how the company will help usher Americans to polls as the November election draws closer.

The ride-hailing giant said in a blog post on Tuesday that it is taking a three-pronged approach to helping people vote in an election marked by COVID-19-related hurdles.

The platform is enabling users to request an through the Uber and Uber Eats apps. It's offering discounted rides to your local polling station and working with agencies to get people to volunteer as poll workers.

"Over the course of the next two months, we'll work to ensure every American citizen, regardless of the barriers they face, can cast their vote," said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO in a statement.

The effort is being made because a lack of transportation is one hurdle some Americans face when it's time to vote. This year, registering to vote also proved to be an issue as the registration of new voters dropped dramatically amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Uber partnered with TurboVote to help users register through its apps. It'll also be sending users a push notification reminding people to sign up. Leading up to Election Day on Nov. 3, the app will help you find your polling location and offer a promo code discount.

Lyft previously announced that it's expanding its voter access program this year as well and is offering free rides through a number of nonprofit partners. Lyft said in a blog post that an estimated 15 million people were registered but couldn't in 2016 because they didn't have a way to get to the polls.

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