Uber, Google, Want to Help You Vote

Uber riders will get notices reminding them to vote and offering them rides to the nearest ballot drop box.

Uber users will get extra help voting, thanks to Google.

The two companies are partnering up on Election Day to help people find ballot drop boxes. Users of the Uber app will get a notification reminding them to vote, with a button they can click on that will help them find the nearest polling station to their location. From there the app can help them request a ride.

It doesn’t take a total cynic to wonder why Uber cares whether people vote. Why the sudden sense of civic responsibility? “Given the important decision people around the country will make on November 8th, we wanted to make getting to and from your polling place easier than ever,” reads a page on the Uber website. And according to another page, “Uber celebrates the cities we serve and one of the best ways to engage with our communities is to encourage riders and drivers to vote.”

Uber has taken a stand on at least one measure on the Washington ballot this year: Sound Transit Proposition 1, or ST3. This is unusual for the company, which according to a press release, doesn’t usually make endorsements. Per the press release: “Prop 1’s goals are congruous with those of Uber: reduce congestion and pollution by moving more people with fewer cars, and provide better mobility options for all people living in the region.”