Free Rides
Austin transit operator CapMetro gives free rides on midterm Election Day
Travis County voters just broke a record, but Election Day is still to come.
Austinites who still need a ride to cast a vote in the 2026 midterm elections can get one for free from CapMetro, the city's local bus operator. Rides on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, will be free across CapMetro's network.
Even though the free rides are to help folks get to polling places, riders can go anywhere they want without having to pay, a press release confirms. The fee waiver also works on non-bus services, including rail, "access" (for disabled riders), pick-up, and bikeshares.
For bike riders, they'll have to select the "I Voted!" pass to unlock 60 minutes of free bike time. Customers need to enter a credit card because the bikeshare requires a $24 hold; it will be refunded after 24 hours unless the rider incurs overage charges by failing to return the bike within 60 minutes of checkout.
CapMetro offers a web planner to help riders navigate between destinations. Voters registered in Travis County can vote anywhere in the county. A list of polling locations in Travis County is available here. (More information about voting in other Texas counties is available here.) Every location will be open from 7 am to 7 pm on Election Day.
Voters can use a number of services to preview their personalized ballot, which changes based on address because of races like city council seats.
Vote411 builds personal ballots, lets users make selections, and displays Q&A responses from candidates. The Texas Tribune also offers personalized ballots with short explanations of each race, plus data visuals about past elections. The League of Women Voters makes a widely respected, nonpartisan voting guide that explains every race as well as city propositions. CultureMap's news partner KVUE has also explained the propositions in its own voting guide.
Travis County voters broke a record this year for the most in-person ballots cast in early voting for a midterm.
