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You Can Ride LA Metro For Free On Election Day
(Todd Johnson/KPCC file photo)
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The midterms are less than two weeks away, and if you need a ride to the polls on Election Day, Los Angeles Metro has you covered.
The agency's board of directors approved a motion Thursday to offer free rides on all its buses and trains on Tuesday, Nov. 6 in an effort to encourage voter turnout.
All @MetroLosAngeles rides will be free on #ElectionDay! The Metro Board just unanimously approved my motion to make voting easier.
— MayorOfLA (@MayorOfLA) October 25, 2018
Every vote counts in this democracy, and we have to do everything we can to help Americans exercise our most fundamental right. pic.twitter.com/7VzuzvHx0k
The county can use all the help it can get. In the 2014 midterms, turnout was a dismal 17 percent.
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"In the June 2018 primary election, Los Angeles County saw a voter turnout of just 28 (percent), which is the second lowest of the 47 California counties that reported," the motion reads. "Additionally, studies have shown that minority, low-income, persons with disabilities, and youth voters in particular have consistently lower turnout than average."
The motion was introduced earlier this month by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, county supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, who all sit on Metro's board.
STUDY FOR THE MIDTERMS: Explore our Voter Game Plan before you head to the polls
The motion cited several other cities that provide free public transit on Election Day, including Houston, Dallas, Kansas City and Tampa.
"The number of transit operators taking this approach continues to grow, and MTA should ensure that it does not fall behind," officials wrote in the motion.
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