Chatham Area Transit will offer free rides across all routes on Election Day, removing one barrier between residents and their polling places.
Why it matters: Transportation costs shouldn’t determine who gets to vote. The move gives anyone without a car or cash a guaranteed way to reach their polling location Nov. 4.
What’s happening: CAT’s board approved the zero-fare day during its Oct. 28 meeting, according to the transit authority. Fixed-route buses and paratransit vehicles will run from 5 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. on Election Day.
Between the lines: The extended hours cover the entire voting window, giving riders flexibility whether they vote before work or after dinner.
The big picture: “Transportation should never be a barrier to civic participation,” CAT Board Chairman Detric Leggett said in a statement.
Riders can find routes serving their neighborhood at catchacat.org/current-schedules.
The sources: Chatham Area Transit Authority
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
