US ride-hailing platform Lyft has announced that it will assist voters in the forthcoming mid-term elections in November by offering FREE rides and discounted promotions in an effort to encourage and increase voter turnout.
The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) projected that more than 15m registered voters didn't get to polling stations for the US presidential elections in 2016 because of transportation issues.
Lyft has seen that damning statistic as an opportunity to help those voters who face transportation issues vote in the mid-term elections described by many political analysts as the most important mid-term elections in the current US history.
In a blog post, Lyft said it was fully committed to encouraging voter turnout and said it would be offering a number of promotions in an effort to bridge that gap.
Lyft said, "We're thrilled to be working with Vote.org, Nonprofit Vote, Turbo-Vote and more to help distribute codes to those who need them. We'll also have a product integration to help passengers find their polling location."
In addition to this, it also said that for underserved communities, it will provide rides free-of-cost through non-partisan, non-profit partners, including Latino, local Urban League affiliates, and the National Federation of the Blind.
Lyft recognizes that getting to the polls is only one part of the voting process though and is also making it easier to register to vote and learn about important ballot initiatives: "We're partnering with When We All Vote and National Voter Registration Day to ensure Lyft's passengers, drivers, and broader community are prepared for the elections."
Lyft is seen as Uber's biggest rival in the US ride-hailing market and the platform continues to expand its operations across the country. It has closed the gap on Uber's share of the market and has become more visible from a brand perspective.
Denzel Washington plays a disgruntled Lyft driver in his latest Hollywood blockbuster The Equalizer 2.