The NAACP is teaming up with ride-sharing company Lyft to help drive traffic to the polls in November.
The 2024 Lyft Up Voting Access Program will help voters access the polls by sharing critical voting access information and by providing free and discounted rides to polling places.
Lyft will also help both riders and drivers register, prepare to vote, and understand voting ID requirements.
"During a time where our most sacred right to vote is under attack, we must fight back with every tool at our disposal," Derrick Johnson, NAACP president and CEO, said in a statement.
In the wake of the 2020 election, some states have reduced drop box access or placed limitations on mail-in ballots, which advocates like the NAACP argue hurt Black voters' ability to cast their vote.
"For many Americans, especially Black Americans, accessible and affordable transportation continues to impede access to the ballot box," Johnson said. "The NAACP is proud to continue working with our partners at Lyft to create pathways to the polls through free and low-cost rideshare services. Together, we will make sure every vote is counted and every voice is heard."
The biennial nonpartisan Lyft Up Voting Access Program has helped more than 3 million people exercise their right to vote in the 10 years it's been running. The rideshare company said it hopes to increase the program's ride volume by 25% this year to get more people to the polls.
A 2021 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 just 36% who did not have access to a vehicle.
"Every American citizen should be able to exercise their right to vote without worrying about the cost or difficulty of getting to the polls," said David Risher, Lyft CEO. "Everyone — from a driver who's given a thousand rides to a rider who hasn't taken her first one yet — deserves to have their voice heard at the polls. Our Voting Access Program is a great way Lyft can be a force for good."
This year, Lyft is also focusing on closing the voting gap for community college students and is partnering with Levi Strauss & Co. and Showtime/MTV in a new coalition to increase student voter registration and turnout.
According to one study, community college students accounted for about one-third of U.S. college students in 2020, but their voting rate was nearly 10 percentage points lower than that of students at four-year universities.
Other nonprofit partners this year include the National Council of Negro Women, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, National Council on Aging, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, and the Hispanic Federation, among others.
These organizations will be given ride codes to distribute to people within their networks whom they identify as most in need of transportation on Election Day.
In addition to being used for Lyft rides to polling locations, the codes can also be used for rides to registered drop box locations.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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