Metro offering free rides across LA County on Election Day

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Looking to encourage Election Day voter turnout, Metro today will offer free rides across its system.

The transit agency will waive fares from midnight Monday to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday for its buses, trains and bike- and ride-share programs.

Officials noted that several cities in the L.A. region, including Culver City, Santa Monica, Glendale, Pasadena, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Foothill, Norwalk and Montebello, will also offer free transit rides.

"Metro encourages all eligible county residents to exercise their constitutional right to vote," the agency said in a statement. "By offering free rides on Election Day, Metro is doing its part to encourage voter turnout and make it easier for people to travel to and from local polling places."

The agency's bike-share program will provide free 30-minute rides, which can be accessed using promo code 110524, officials said.

Users can select "1-Ride" at any Metro Bike Share kiosk, online, or in the Metro Bike Share app, then enter the provided code at checkout to redeem the free ride. A credit or debit card is required.

The promo code may be redeemed multiple times throughout the day. Electric Metro Bike fees are waived, and bike rides are an additional $1.75 for each half hour after the first 30 minutes, according to Metro.

Metro Micro provides short trips in eight zones across Los Angeles County. Passengers can use the coupon code Vote24 when booking a trip on the app, online, or through the call center at 323-GO-METRO (323-466-3876) and press option 5. The coupon code is only valid on Election Day.

The transit agency said it partnered with the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office to expand voting access for people who use or live near Metro stations.

Mail-in-ballot drop boxes were placed in "unpaid areas, in clear view of CCTV cameras, and designed to deter tampering," according to the agency.

The boxes will be available at the following stations:

• Union Station, east portal

• El Monte Bus Transit Center, plaza area

• Harbor Gateway Transit center, transit plaza area

• Harbor Freeway C Line, park and ride area

• Hollywood/Western B Line, plaza area

• North Hollywood B Line, east plaza area

• Norwalk C Line, east plaza area

• Westlake/MacArthur Park B & D lines, courtyard area

• Wilshire/Vermont B & D lines, courtyard area

Metro headquarters in Union Station will have a voting center on Tuesday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.