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Getting to the polls: Rideshare and Indego offering discounts, free options available

Budget-friendly options available to those planning to drop off their ballots or head to the polls in person include a free “Voter Express” trolley, which debuted Sunday.

Trolley operator Shaun Baldie (left) and Michael Barnes (right), president and business manager of the local IATSE stagehands union, hang a sign as they prepare the "Voter Express" trolley outside The Met in North Philadelphia on Sunday.
Trolley operator Shaun Baldie (left) and Michael Barnes (right), president and business manager of the local IATSE stagehands union, hang a sign as they prepare the "Voter Express" trolley outside The Met in North Philadelphia on Sunday.Read moreDAVID MAIALETTI / Staff Photographer

Still need to vote, but not sure how to get there? Between free and discounted rides, budget-friendly options are available to those planning to drop off their ballots or head to the polls in person, including a free “Voter Express” trolley that began Sunday.

For those figuring out where to go, The Inquirer’s comprehensive “How to Vote in 2020” (www.inquirer.com) guide has the answers to all your questions — from where to find a polling location, drop box, or satellite election offices to what hours the polls will be open on Tuesday.

SEPTA and PATCO will be available for voters looking for transportation options, but here are some others to consider:

Indego

Thinking about pedaling to the polls? Indego, the city’s bikeshare program, may be a good bet. Riders can get a $1 Day Pass on Tuesday by using the promo code “VOTE2020″ on its website (www.rideindego.com), according to Indego.

A Day Pass is normally priced at $12.

» READ MORE: Under new contract, Indego will expand bike-share in Philly

Rideshare

On Election Day, Uber riders using the platform’s in-app poll-finding feature can get 50% off trips. The promotion will offer a maximum discount of $7 on one ride, or $14 roundtrip.

Similarly, Lyft riders can get 50% off a trip by using the code “2020VOTE."

‘Voter Express’

Voters will be able to catch free trolley rides Sunday through Tuesday through an effort spearheaded by the AFL-CIO, Philadelphia Building Trades, and Live Nation.

The service, called the "Voter Express,” started at the Met on Sunday at 10 a.m., and is scheduled to make stops at a number of satellite election offices, including Julia De Burgos Elementary, the Liacouras Center, and City Hall.

A route map of an additional trolley can be viewed on Google Maps (votetodayinpa.com). Further information on schedules is soon expected to be made available online. Mask-wearing aboard the trolley will be mandatory, while other COVID-19 safety measures will be in place.

“We are all doing our part to encourage residents across the region to get out and vote,” Michael Barnes, president of IATSE Local 8, said in a statement.

POWER

POWER, a faith-based organizing movement, is offering free rides to voters from now through Tuesday (powerinterfaith.org).

Those who need a ride can call 1-844-POWERVT (769-3788).

“If it comes between bus fare and maybe eating that day, they’re gonna choose to eat," POWER director of civic engagement Kendra Cochran told CBS3. "So we just eliminate that whole stress.”