“Your right to vote is free, so why shouldn’t getting there be free?” Caroline Passe, Director of Public Relations for Gotcha Mobility, said.

The Roll to the Polls initiative was originally created by Gotcha Mobility in 2018, Passe said. She said that the nationwide campaign was very successful that year.

“This year with it being a presidential election we decided to make it an industry-wide initiative and partnered with the North American Bikeshare Association,” Passe said.

NABSA is an organization made up of companies that specialize in alternative transportation, also called “micro-mobility,” which refers to small, user-driven vehicles like bicycles and electric scooters. The quickly-growing micro-mobility industry is expected to be worth 200 to 300 billion dollars in the United States by 2030.

In 2016, only 58.1% of the voting-age population voted, and 3% of Americans cited transportation issues as the reason they did not vote. Passe said that Roll to the Polls was inspired by this information.

“We want to help make every vote count by providing accessible transportation to all,” Passe said.

In a press release on Oct. 8, Gotcha Mobility encouraged voters to also explore alternative methods of voting, such as absentee ballots. 

Gotcha scooters are currently the only e-scooters allowed on MSU’s campus, as Michigan State University entered a partnership with Gotcha Mobility in 2019.

Riders can use the code VOTE2020 to redeem a free ride on Gotcha Mobility scooters, bikes or cruisers in East Lansing on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bird brand scooters are also available at 50% off with the use of a code that will be released closer to Election Day.