There are fewer excuses not to vote on Tuesday in Miami’s election.
Lime, the global leader in micromobility (read: electric ride-share bikes and scooters), will provide free scooter rides to and from the polls so it’s harder to blame car trouble.
Riders can use the promotional code MIAMIRIDETOPOLLS2021 to get two free rides up to 30 minutes on any Lime scooter.
“Our goal is to help the people in the cities we serve and making it easier to cast your ballot is one way we can help make a difference,” said CJ Shaw, general manager at Lime.
“We believe in encouraging participation in democracy and we’re proud to offer everyone in Miami a free ride to and from their poll site on Tuesday. We know how important local elections are and we want to do our part to boost turnout.”
That’s good because turnout has been abysmal. As of Monday, less than 9% of the city’s registered voters had cast ballots either through vote-by-mail (15,352) and early voting (3,592).
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Cynics might think this gimmick is meant to win the hearts and minds of Miamians as the city commission grapples with regulating electric ride-share scooters in a way that satisfies both fans and foes. The future of the transportation option — which gets more people out of their cars for short trips — is very much up in the air.
The city suspended the scooter pilot program in December after complaints from drivers and pedestrians about the use by youth that weren’t following the rules. It was reinstated in February with new rules. But there was an ordinance in the agenda of last week’s meeting to repeal the pilot program before it was deferred — until after the election.
But Lime, which is Uber’s scooter service, has been helping thousands of people get to their voting locations in select cities since 2018. A whopping 20% of riders across the U.S. on Election Day 2020 used the promo, a company spokesman said.
“We’ve seen success with similar efforts across the country on previous election days, as well as in Canada, and we’re hopeful this offer will reduce barriers to voting and allow more Miami residents to make their voice heard and participate in their municipal democracy,” Shaw said.
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Lime also implemented a Lime to the Polls initiative in Canada for the first time in September of this year and plans to continue to look for ways to support democratic participation in all the cities it serves around the world, a statement said.
Lime’s mission is to foster people-first cities by empowering residents with more affordable, reliable, and sustainable transportation options. Lime partners with cities to deploy electric bikes, scooters and additional shared modes. Named a Time100 Most Influential Company, Lime has powered more than 250 million rides in more than 200 cities across five continents, spurring a new generation of clean alternatives to car ownership. Learn more at li.me.
Can’t get to the polls? Lime provides scooters for voters in Miami election added by Ladra on
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