Rideshare2Vote Aware is an advocacy group that conducts get-out-the vote efforts. It is the nonprofit arm of Rideshare2Vote, a for-profit firm that provides free rides to voters on behalf of clients including Democratic campaigns, PACs, and local Democratic Parties. The group operates throughout the United States but mostly contracted with campaigns in Texas in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.

The organization focuses on partnerships with left-of-center advocacy groups and runs an internship program that deploys interns to staff get-out-the-vote campaigns run by Rideshare2Vote. While Rideshare2Vote Aware states that its programs are “nonpartisan,” its website states that is voter outreach targets “strategically chosen voters.” ^{1 2 3}

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.” ⁴ Rideshare2Vote provides free rides to supporters of Democratic campaigns or local Democratic Party committees. ⁵

In 2019, Rideshare2Vote launched Rideshare2Vote Aware as a nonprofit arm to complement the group’s for-profit work. While the work of Rideshare2Vote LLC is explicitly partisan, Rideshare2Vote Aware focuses on partnering with left-leaning nonprofits’ voting programs to facilitate rides to the polls. Rideshare2Vote Aware also directs a paid internship program that hires and trains students to work on the Rideshare2Vote programs. ⁶

In 2020, Rideshare2Vote 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. ⁷

Activity

Riseshare2Vote Aware works closely with its for-profit parent firm, Rideshare2Vote LLC. Rideshare2Vote Aware places volunteers and interns within get-out-the-vote programs at Democratic campaigns and organizations that are clients of Rideshare2Vote LLC. ⁸

Current national partners of Rideshare2Vote Aware include VoteRiders and the Good Deed Corps. ⁹

Internship Program

Rideshare2Vote Aware operates an internship program that trains college students to conduct get-out-the-vote programs on behalf of the organization and its for-profit and political action committee affiliates. The organization’s internship program is its most public-facing program and consists of a 24-week paid program that teaches students a curriculum including “Graphics, Memes, and Building an Online Audience,” strategic planning, and messaging. The group then places interns within one of its campaigns for them to create their own rides to the polls campaign for one of the clients of Rideshare2Vote. ¹⁰

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. “Mission.” Rideshare2Vote Aware. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2voteaware.org/mission/
4.  “About Sarah.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/about-sarah/
5. 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
6. “About Sarah.” Rideshare2Vote. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2vote.com/about-sarah/
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. “Partners.” Rideshare2Vote Aware. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2voteaware.org/partners-2/
10. “Fellowship Program Syllabus.” Rideshare2Vote Aware. Accessed February 20, 2023. https://rideshare2voteaware.org/fellowship-program-syllabus/