Transit App Campaign to Get Voters to the Polls

Target Audience: The target audience for this initiative was voters in the US, particularly those who care about and actively use public transit. This audience would use Transit to plan their trips to polling stations and ballot boxes.

Strategy Objective:Transit had two objectives. First: ensure that everyone had an equal opportunity to participate in democracy. When users opened Transit, pins on the nearby map showed polling places and drop boxes. Tapping the pin showed the site's name, address, and opening hours. The rider could then quickly get directions to the location or tap a link that directed them to voting registration information. Second: to mobilise public transit users to vote in their local and state ballot initiatives that would impact public transit. It can be difficult to mobilise riders at a national level when there are so many state and local initiatives. We used APTA's ballot initiative tracker to identify agencies with ballots, and worked with those agencies to mobilise riders in those cities.

Situation Challenge: In 2024, the US went to the polls. While federal and state elections were top of mind for most, many voters also had the opportunity to vote in state and local ballot initiatives that would impact public transit. We realised that we could support our users to participate in democracy by making it easy to find polling locations and drop boxes. These changed over the course of the voting period, so we worked with agencies to provide an up-to-date information source to voters. We could also support our agency partners by informing riders about initiatives that would impact how public transit is funded and delivered in their state or city. With a direct line of communication with public transit users, we were well-placed to connect with riders.

Results Impact: 39 in-app banners reached 271,883 users. Banners promoted free rides to the polls, transit-related propositions, and general voting information. Additionally, Transit's election-related Twitter post garnered 16,600 impressions. A further 171,600 impressions were generated through shares and mentions from other social media users, spreading this initiative's impact far beyond the boundaries of Transit app. Mountain Line in Flagstaff, AZ, was one agency whose funding would be impacted by votes in a local initiative. We supported Mountain Line with two in-app banners informing voters about registration deadlines and early voting. Their ballot initiative ultimately passed and the agency gained access to greater funding.

Why Submit: This initiative was submitted because it was an impressive collaborative effort between Transit and 24 agencies across the US, building on existing advocacy work from APTA and public transit journalists. We worked directly with government affairs staff at transit agencies to refine messaging – content and tone varied from state to state to abide by local election laws. This entry should win because it demonstrates how private organisations can support democracy and advocate for public transit. If we can mobilise the people who care the most about public transit – active riders – we can ensure that transit initiatives are funded, supported, and seen to fruition.