Many Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky voters without a car can make it to the polls with the help of several organizations offering free and discounted rides.
“A lot of people have to work. A lot of people take the bus. A lot of people have to jump through a few extra hoops to make it to their polling place,” said Nicole Klungle, a member of the leadership team for the nonpartisan Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative. “And we'd like to help people make it to that polling place with a little boost.”
The organization is partnering with a national nonprofit, Rideshare2Vote Aware, to offer free rides to voters in Hamilton County. Klungle said more than 100 voters have taken advantage of the service in past elections.
First, a dispatcher tells a driver where to go, and then, “the driver waits for the voter to vote and takes them back where they need to go,” she said.
More than 10% of households in Hamilton County have no vehicles, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest American Community Survey.
In other parts of Southwest Ohio, about 5% of Butler and Clermont county households and 3% of Warren County homes don’t have access to a car. And in Northern Kentucky, nearly 7% of Kenton County, 6% of Campbell County and 3.5% of Boone County households also don’t have vehicles.
With early voting underway in Ohio, here are all the ways to get to the polls in Greater Cincinnati this year, before and on Election Day:
Available to everyone
- Ridesharing: Lyft is offering 50% off car, bike and scooter rides to polling locations or registered dropboxes on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. The discount is limited to $10 and can be used by preloading the code “VOTE26” into the app before Election Day. Uber did not respond to a request about whether it would offer a similar service, as it has done in the past.
- Scooters and bikes: Lime is partnering with HeadCount, a national voter registration organization, to provide free scooter and bike rides for voters. Between Oct. 24 and Nov. 3, people can text “LIME” to 57568 or use the code “VOTE2026” for two free 30-minute rides.
Hamilton County
- Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative and Rideshare2Vote Aware: Hamilton County voters can reserve a free round-trip ride from a non-partisan volunteer by visiting cincyvotes.org or calling 888-858-3421. The service is available starting Oct. 30, but Klungle recommends people sign up as soon as they know they’ll need transportation.
- Metro: All of Metro’s fixed-route, Access para-transit and MetroNow! on-demand trips will be fare-free on Election Day. The fixed-route buses will operate on their regular schedules. Though fares will only be free on Election Day, Metro’s services can help early voters get to the county’s ballot dropbox at the Board of Elections for $2.20 to $3.00. People can plan their trips on the Transit app.
Butler County
- Butler County Regional Transit Authority: BCRTA offers free fixed routes in Hamilton, Middletown and Oxford. For early voters, the R1 route stops at the Butler County Board of Elections. Residents without access to a fixed route can use BGo to book a same-day trip for $5 each way. To plan their trips, residents can visit butlercountyrta.com or call 513-785-5237.
Warren County
- Warren County Transit Service: Lebanon voters may be able to use a fixed-route to reach their polling place or the ballot drop box at the Board of Elections — the first stop on the Lebanon Loop. The regular fare is $3.00 each way. In an email statement, a spokesperson for the agency said people outside of the Lebanon Loop can use the on-demand ride service but must schedule pick-up at least 48 hours in advance. The agency recommends planning ahead of Election Day by calling 1-888-297-0990.
Clermont County
- Clermont Transportation Connection: In an email to WVXU, a spokesperson for Clermont County said, “It’s a great service to offer voters and something we would like to do in the future but are unable to do currently.” Clermont County’s two fixed routes take people from Amelia and New Richmond to downtown Cincinnati. They do not pass by polling places or the ballot dropbox at the Board of Elections in Batavia. The county’s only available door-to-door service is limited to people who need transportation to medical appointments.
Northern Kentucky
- TANK: Unlike years past, rides on TANK buses will not be free this Election Day because the agency is rolling out new service schedules that week, according to an email from General Manager Gina Douthat. See available routes on TANK’s website. Trips cost $2 each way. Early voting in Kentucky starts Oct. 26, and routes to ballot drop-boxes are available.
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