If it weren’t for the Rideshare2Vote initiative, Tangie Thompson’s voice likely wouldn’t have been heard this election.
“I’m disabled and I can’t drive, so that was right on time for me, because I really wanted to get out and vote, voice my opinion, and I thought I wasn’t gonna be able to do it this year,” she said. “I appreciate programs and people like that, the volunteers that get out and help those in the community to get out and vote. Because a lot of people don’t get out and vote because they don’t have a way.”
Thompson is one of about a dozen voters who used Rideshare2Vote to get a ride to the polls on Monday, the first day the program opened locally. The service offers a ride to the polls for people who would otherwise have trouble getting there. It works like a ride-share service, with voters able to book a ride online at the Rideshare2Vote website or call the number (888) 977-2250 for a ride. It is active for voters in Orange and Wake counties through Thursday and on Election Day itself this Tuesday.
Adam Wolk, one of the main organizers, did this project for the 2020 election as well, though on a much smaller scale.
“It was an ad hoc effort. It was great. We had a couple dozen volunteer drivers, and I think we got over a hundred voters to the polls,” he said.
Adam Wolk, one of the organizers of Rideshare2Vote in Orange County, drives voters to the polls as part of the volunteer program. (Photo courtesy of Adam Wolk)
This year, Wolk and two other Orange County residents, B.J. Talley and Jared Gallaher, partnered with the national organization Rideshare2Vote to increase the size and scope of the operation. Talley said this allows them to operate on a scale much larger than when it was all run through Wolk’s personal phone and a spreadsheet on his computer in 2020. There are more than 50 volunteer drivers taking part this year.
“They have some technology for dispatching,” Talley said. “They have a really good driver training program, and they’ve got essentially a processing capability that allows local organizations to be able to leverage that to help both find and schedule drivers and then find and schedule voters who need rides.”
Gallaher said in addition to the stronger technology, another major improvement has also been an emphasis on spreading the word to as many people as possible.
“I think this represents a nice evolution from what Adam started in 2020, adding some more outreach, additional drivers, and then some of the technology around dispatching and taking rides,” he said. “We’re leaving no stone unturned.”
Talley made it clear that, though the organizers identify as progressive and that the Orange County Democratic Party helped with coordination, the idea is to provide this service for everyone across the whole political spectrum.
“It’s pretty important; we’re not asking people who they’re going to vote for. We’re not turning away anybody that reaches out and asks for a ride to the polls,” he said. “I think the fundamental aspect of this is that everybody’s got a right to vote and deserves the opportunity to do that. And so one important guiding principle for us has been, we’ll give a ride to the polls to anybody.”
North Carolina is already receiving nationwide attention as it is expected to be one of the most tightly contested states in this election. Early voting numbers for the state are strong, with more than 2.9 million in-person ballots accepted through Monday.
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