METRO Will Give Free Rides to the Polls on Election Day — But Not During Early Voting
METRO will run free rides to and from polling locations on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, for riders who show a voter registration card — but standard fares stay in effect on every early voting day, the transit agency said.
Houston-area voters will be able to ride METRO free to the polls on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County said. To ride free, passengers simply show a valid voter registration card to a METRO bus operator or fare inspector when boarding, FOX 26 Houston reported.
The free service covers five METRO options: METRORail, local bus routes, METROLift, METRO curb2curb and the Community Connector, according to METRO's announcement as reported by QueOnda Magazine. The offer covers trips to and from polling locations inside METRO's service area.
The limit matters for anyone voting this weekend: the free rides apply only on Election Day. Regular fares remain in effect during early voting and on every other day, METRO said — so a Saturday trip to an early vote center still costs the standard fare. Early voting in Harris County runs through October 30, with polls open Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m.
"Every voter deserves the opportunity to make their voice heard, and transportation should never stand in the way," said METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock, who thanked Mayor John Whitmire for continuing the Election Day transportation partnership. Voters planning to ride should confirm their registration is active and find their vote center first at HarrisVotes.com — the registration card proves a rider is participating in the election, but it does not replace the photo ID voters may need at the polling place.
