Those using a lack of transportation as an excuse to not vote are going to have to come up with a different reason.

Capital Area Transportation Authority will offer free rides to and from the polls today.

“Anyone that has a valid voter registration card (can) show that to the driver of any route and will then get a ride free to the polls,” said Sandy Draggoo, CATA executive director. “Getting to the polls may be difficult because some people don’t have cars, so we do this as a matter of public service.”

Students on campus may not see the benefits of this service because of the close location of the polls. Many voting precincts are actually on campus in residence halls.

“Well, I am down the street from one of the locations, so I am going to walk,” said Lauren Carroll, a food science sophomore. “The free rides aren’t exciting to me, but they do take away an excuse from people not to vote.”

Draggoo said CATA has a responsibility to the community.

“We feel as the regional transportation authority, this is our way of showing the importance of voting,” she said.

While the free rides are a service that have been offered during other elections, the number of people who use this service is difficult to obtain, Draggoo said.

“The drivers record (voters) as passengers with a pass, and that is the same (procedure) as what we do with other kinds of passes,” she said. “We don’t have the capability as counting each as separate so it is very hard to say the number (of voters) benefiting from the free ride.

“We always have some,” she said.

The service will not only benefit East Lansing, but every CATA route in Ingham County, with rides ending at 9 p.m.

“We are pleased to offer this incentive to registered voters,” Draggoo said, “And we urge everyone to vote on Election Day.”