Communities Creating Opportunities, a nonprofit that provides a range of economic and social services to under-resourced communities in Kansas City, is providing free rides to as many people as possible.
“We don’t want a lack of transportation to dissuade anyone from voting and this is a real factor for low-income Kansas Citians,” said Garret Griffin, CCO’s Director of Communication. “If you don’t have a car, or if taking a bus is inconvenient or you can’t find a ride, it may be tempting to sit out the election.”
According to a Census survey in November 2020, of 12,810 prospective voters, 308 people did just that — sat out — because of trouble getting to the polls.
Here are some free and discounted options for rides offered by local organizations to help people vote in Tuesday’s election.
Free options
- Ride KC already offers free public transit throughout Kansas City, Missouri, Wyandotte County and Johnson County. Ride KC officials confirm a majority of polling locations are on bus routes. But it’s up to each individual voter to know the location of their polling place. Find your polling place here.
- Communities Creating Opportunity, a Kansas City-based nonprofit, will provide free rides for people with limited transportation options. To take advantage of their service you must live in one of the following zip codes: 64109, 64127, 64128, 64130 or 64132.
- IRIS, an app-driven, on-demand pick up service, will be free on election day in cities surrounding Kansas City, including Gladstone, North Kansas City, Riverside and Raytown. IRIS, which partners with the KCATA, zTrip and RideCo., will send a text notification in the days leading up to election day. Residents can book through the IRIS app or phone line at 816-205-8221. Search keyword “POLLING” in the IRIS app and it will pull up the free locations. IRIS: On-demand transit in KCMO | Rider Guide | RideKC
Carlos Moreno/KCUR 89.3
- Bird scooters is offering a promotion with two 30-minute complimentary rides. Use Promo code “ROCKTHEVOTE2024” in the Bird app to book your free sessions.
- RideKC Bike will offer two free 60-minute ride credits on election day. Look for information about RideKC Bike’s offer on the RideKC Bike app banner on Nov. 4-5.
Discounted and paid options
- Uber is offering 50% off rides to polling locations for rides up to $10 dollars. Click the “Go Vote” tile when booking a ride.
- Lyft also offers 50% off rides that are up to $10 dollars. Use promo code “VOTE24” before or on election day. The code is only valid from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- OATS Transit is a nonprofit that provides general transportation in 87 Missouri counties, focused on transporting rural residents. The group offers shared-ride, on-demand service with a special program called Relay Missouri for deaf, deaf-blind and/or speech impaired individuals. Call 711 to set up a ride with an OATS representative.
