For-profit

Rideshare2Vote

Website:

rideshare2vote.com/

Location:

Dallas, TX

Type:

Democratic campaign vendor and rideshare provider

Status:

For-Profit

Founder:

Sarah Kovich

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Rideshare2Vote LLC is a for-profit firm that provides free rides to voters on behalf of Democratic campaigns. The group operates throughout the United States but mostly contracted with campaigns in Texas in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles. The firm is explicitly partisan, stating on its website that its goal is to increase turnout of Democratic voters, with a focus on Democratic voters who are young and of a lower likelihood to vote. The firm also operates a nonprofit arm, Rideshare2Vote Aware, that trains campaign organizers in using the Rideshare2Vote program. 1 2

Background

Rideshare2Vote was founded during the 2018 election in Texas by Sarah Kovich, who started the firm with a $25,000 investment of personal funds. The group is an LLC and describes itself as the only “Democratic partisan Rides2Vote Program in the United States operating year-round in local, state, special, run off and national elections.” 3

The firm provides free rides to supporters of Democratic campaigns or local Democratic party committees with which the firm contracts. While the firm noted that campaigns have had programs to drive supporters to the polls for many years, the firm operates an app and phone line to connect drivers with voters that the firm says operates similar to Uber and Lyft, rideshare companies that have also launched programs providing free or discounted rides to the polls. Although Kovich started the firm while she was a Democrat and the firm works with Democratic campaigns, drivers would not ask voters about their voting intentions. 4

Partnerships

The 2018 election was the first election cycle that Rideshare2Vote operated, providing rides to voters in North Texas, Houston, and San Antonio with a goal of expanding to serve campaigns throughout Texas by 2020.  In the 2020 election, the firm contracted with many Democratic campaigns throughout Texas as well as Paula Jean Swearengin’s unsuccessful primary challenge to U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). In Texas, the firm worked for several Democratic congressional candidates and over a dozen campaigns for state legislative seats, local office, or judgeships. The firm also worked with the Dallas County Democratic Party in 2020. 5

In 2022, the firm contracted with many Democratic campaigns including Beto O’Rourke’s (D) unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Texas. The firm worked with many more political action committees and other political groups both within Texas and in other states including the Texas Democratic Women of Galveston County, Texas Tool Belt, Blue Voter Guide, Tarrant County Democratic Party, the Black Women’s PAC, the Fairfax County, Virginia Democratic Committee, the Union, and the Daily Kos. 6

Activity

Since it was founded by Sarah Kovich in 2018, Rideshare2Vote LLC has grown its programs and contracted with dozens of democratic campaigns and organization to provide get-out-the vote services and rides to the polls. The firm states that its get-out-the-vote efforts target “nonvoting registered Democrats and offers them a reminder, invitation and ultimately transportation to the polls in every election.” 7

Following the 2022 elections Rideshare2Vote LLC employed 25 paid staff. In 2019, the firm launched a nonprofit arm called Rideshare2Vote Aware, which aimed at partnering with left-leaning nonprofits’ voting programs to facilitate rides to the polls. Rideshare 2 Vote Aware also directs a paid internship program that hires and trains students to work on the Rideshare2Vote programs. 8

In 2020, the firm launched a political action committee arm, the Rideshare2Vote PAC, that raised $2.5 million from 2020 to 2022 in support of Rideshare2Vote LLC’s programming. 9

References

  1. “Campaign Program Overview.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 18, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/campaign-program-overview/
  2. Zeeble, Bill. “This New Texas Service Offers Free Rides To And From The Polls To Help More People Vote.” KERA News. November 1, 2018. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2018-11-01/this-new-texas-service-offers-free-rides-to-and-from-the-polls-to-help-more-people-vote
  3. “About Sarah.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/about-sarah/
  4. Zeeble, Bill. “This New Texas Service Offers Free Rides To And From The Polls To Help More People Vote.” KERA News. November 1, 2018. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://www.keranews.org/texas-news/2018-11-01/this-new-texas-service-offers-free-rides-to-and-from-the-polls-to-help-more-people-vote
  5. “2020 Campaigns.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/2020-campaigns/
  6. “2022 Campaigns.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/2022-campaigns/
  7. “About Sarah.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/about-sarah/
  8. “About Sarah.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/about-sarah/
  9. “About Sarah.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/about-sarah/
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Rideshare2Vote


Dallas, TX