To increase the community’s access to voting this November, San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) will provide free Election Day service to polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The “Buses for Democracy” are available all day to passengers on RTD’s fixed route, Dial-A-Ride, and Van Go!

“This is an important election year,” said Gary Giovanetti, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RTD. “Providing transportation on Election Day is RTD’s way of helping our community get out there and exercise their right to vote.”

RTD has a long history of encouraging community participation through various programs and public service campaigns. Began in 2016, RTD’s Buses for Democracy continued to highlight RTD’s commitment to civic engagement, providing access to polling places while promoting public transit.

“We know that getting out there to vote might be a challenge this year because of COVID-19,” said Chief Executive Officer Gloria Salazar. “We hope that our meticulous cleaning practices and physical distancing policies will help our community feel safe in voting and riding the bus.”

To participate in this program, passengers may freely board any of RTD’s services heading towards a polling place (excluding Commuter service). Passengers seeking to use RTD’s Dial-A-Ride service will need to call (209) 943-1111, option 2, and option 2 to make reservations by 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2. Those traveling to polling places with Van Go! may use the Van Go! app to book their ride. For more information, visit www.sanjoaquinRTD.com/VanGo.

To find your local polling place, visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/polling-place/, then use RTD’s Trip Planner at https://sanjoaquinrtd.com/trip-planner/. Passengers may also contact the Customer Information Center at (209) 943-1111 to make sure the polling place is served by the route they have selected.