Zipcar Is Offering Free Rentals on Election Night
The car-sharing company is going out of its way to make sure people make it to the polls.
Zipcar wants to make sure there are zero excuses for not voting on Election Day. The popular car-sharing company will be offering free rentals of more than 7,000 cars across the nation for a four-hour period this upcoming Tuesday, the company announced Friday.
The initiative, which Zipcar has coined "#DRIVEtheVOTE", is designed put into place in the hopes of helping more citizens haul themselves to the polls on November 8th to vote for the next president of the United States, according to the company.
The cars will be available for free use from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. next Tuesday. Gas and insurance will be included with the rentals, but Business Insider reports some users may be required to pay taxes or other fees depending on their location and local car rental regulations.
While Zipsters everywhere may find the measure handy, the free car rentals could be extremely helpful for residents of Philadelphia. Around 4,700 employees of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, the city's main public transportation system, have been engaged in a strike for the past four days after being unable to agree with their employer on healthcare and pension benefit plans. Since the strike began, train, bus, and trolley service have been greatly hamstrung across the Philadelphia area.
SEPTA said in a statement that it would take legal action to lift the strike on election day if it comes down to it. The Philadelphia suburbs could play a key role in clinching the state of Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton, according to a recent poll.
No matter where you live, however, you can start reserving your free election day car time starting today. If you're not yet a Zipcar member, you can sign up directly through its mobile app. And if you need help choosing a Zipcar to align with your political leanings, please consult our list of the 12 best Zipcar models in the nation.
