Buses, Trains And Bikes Are Free-To-Ride On Election Day In Santa Monica

SANTA MONICA, CA — Buses, trains and bikes will be free to ride in Santa Monica and across Los Angeles County on Election Day as part of an effort to ensure voters can get to the polls.

Metro will not collect bus or train fare from midnight to 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5 and Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus is also offering free rides.

"Metro encourages all eligible county residents to exercise their constitutional right to vote," reads a release from the agency. "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."

Metro's bike-share program will also offer free 30-minute rides on Election Day with the promo code 110524. Riders are eligible to use the code multiple times throughout the day.

And Metro Micro, which offers short trips in eight zones across LA County, will offer free rides with the code Vote24.

A voting center will be located at Metro headquarters in Union Station on Election Day.

In a partnership with county election officials, Metro has also made mail-in ballot drop boxes available at key transit stations. The boxes are located in areas that do not require fare to enter, Metro said.

The boxes are located at these stations:

• Union Station east portal
• El Monte Bus Transit Center plaza
• Harbor Gateway Transit Center plaza
• Harbor Freeway C Line station (park-and-ride area)
• Hollywood/Western B Line station plaza
• North Hollywood B Line station east plaza
• Norwalk C Line station east plaza
• Westlake/MacArthur Park B and D line station courtyard
• Wilshire/Vermont B and D line station courtyard

Many other transit systems are also offering fare-free travel, including Culver City, Pasadena, Long Beach, LADOT's DASH, Foothill, Norwalk and Montebello, according to Metro.

Read more election coverage from Patch:

• Santa Monica Election Guide: What's On The Ballot, What To Know