On July 10, 2018, three black Capitol Hill interns scheduled an Uber ride from the area of George Washington University to the Trump International Hotel for a monthly MAGA event.…They never made it there. The Uber driver saw their “Make America Great Again” hats and refused service to the group.

The interns appeared on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show to discuss the discrimination they faced by the Uber driver:

Uber appears to be happy though, to offer free rides to minorities, as long as they vote. Uber and Lyft, the two most popular ride companies, are offering FREE and half price rides to help mostly Democrats get to the polls.

Uber is giving free rides to the polls on Election Day in an effort to increase participation in the democratic process.

According to the Washington Examiner, anyone using the app on Nov. 6 will see a “ Get to the Polls” button pop up on their screen when they launch the app. Uber is partnering with #VoteTogether and Democracy Works; The two organizations will provide promo codes for riders to redeem the free rides. In addition, Uber will also offer $10 off a single ride to the polls on Election Day via the most affordable Uber option available in a given city. Residents of Utah and Michigan aren’t eligible because of restrictions on discounted transportation on Election Day.

Uber previously ran a campaign to help their customers register to vote.

Uber’s Election Day campaign helps turn out the vote of those who do not own a vehicle or have access to transportation. This predominantly affects urbanites and low-income voters, both of which tend to vote Democrat. Uber is also popular among millennials, another Democratic stronghold, as users age 16-34 make up two-thirds of Uber’s U.S. clientele. On the contrary, it’s free-market conservatives that have fought for Uber’s right to exist in cities where taxi companies have tried to maintain a monopoly.

Lyft, on the other hand, is making their partisan stance a bit more clear. The ride-hailing company is offering only 50 percent off on Nov. 6 for all voters but is giving free rides to “underserved communities that face significant obstacles to transportation,” according to a statement. Lyft is partnering with multiple organizations including “When We All Vote,” which is backed by former first lady Michelle Obama.

Although the Uber and Lyft election day deals appear to be geared toward getting Democrats to the polls, we don’t see any reason for Republicans to pay for transportation, in fact, we encourage Republicans to use the free and half-price offers. The only catch is that Uber and Lyft will make you pay for the ride home. It still might be cheaper, however, than paying for another form of transportation.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.