Hi, Neighbors and Friends,

Over-the-counter voting at satellite offices throughout Allegheny County begins this weekend, October 10 & 11. You can also drop off your voted mail-in ballot at the satellite offices. 

In providing free rides to these satellite offices, our African-American neighbors and friends are really leading the way.  B-PEP (The Black Political Empowerment Project) is providing free rides for voters this weekend.  Many other groups are gearing up to provide free rides for voters but not this weekend.  Details on all are below.  (If you know of groups providing rides that I haven’t included, please have them e-mail me:  jai@vision-and-values.com.) 

Free rides for voters this weekend (October 10 & 11):

Here are B-PEP’s excellent COVID PROTECTION GUIDELINES:

- Wear your mask, drivers and riders (no mask, no ride).

- Sanitize your hands upon entering the car.

- Sit only in the backseat passenger side for maximum distance.

- Roll down your window for maximum airflow.

- Sanitizing wipes will be provided to drivers upon request.

- One rider per car or three per van.

For personal safety, B-PEP also provides driver names to riders and rider names to drivers.  Before getting into a car, make sure your driver has told you his/her name and knows your name.

Congratulations again to B-PEP for being so well prepared so early!

Other groups who will be offering rides to the polls/satellite offices, but NOT this weekend:

The Political Parties:

For most elections, political parties offer rides to the polls.  I currently know that the Biden-Harris campaign and Representative Ed Gainey’s office are working on providing rides to the polls (more info to come in a week or so). If you know of any other party/political groups planning to offer free rides to voters, please let me know.

“Souls to the Polls” - Churches/Synagogues/Mosques, etc.:

For most elections, many religious organizations provide “souls to the polls” transportation to their members and/or others. I know some local churches/synagogues, etc. are looking into doing this.  If your religious organization is planning to offer free rides to the polls/satellite offices, please let me know.  

VEEEM Pittsburgh is a faith-based, nonpartisan community organization dedicated to increasing voter turnout in the Greater Pittsburgh area.  They are offering: Free Rides To Cast Your Vote on Election Day, Nov. 3.  To schedule a pick-up, call SD Transit, 412-242-1998.  Please call 24 hours in advance.

Other groups:

Black Vote Coalition:  The Senior Strut - Safe, free, socially distant bus rides from Hill District Hi-Rises to the Hill District Voting Satellite Shop-N-Save and home.  Scheduled pick-up times at 8 senior hi-rises in the Hill District between 9 am and 5 pm on Saturday, October 17, and 11 am and 7 pm on Sunday, October 18.  For further information, contact 412-377-6923.

Uber and Lyft are offering discounted rides to the polls on Election Day. (I don’t subscribe to these services so am finding it difficult to get in touch with them locally.  If you do subscribe, perhaps you could contact the local offices and ask them to contact me so I can find out more about what they are offering here.)

CAUTIONS re both covid and your physical safety:

1.  When you arrange a ride with any of these groups, ask for their covid guidelines in advance to make sure you’re comfortable with them (see B-PEP’s great list above for guidance.).

2.  No matter which group provides you with a free ride to the polls, they should tell you in advance the driver’s name and should provide the driver with your name.  Then when a car arrives to take you to the polls, make sure the driver tells you his/her name and knows your name too.  There are some bad actors out there.  None of us wants anyone getting into the wrong car.  Nor do we want anything to happen to the wonderful driver volunteers, most of whom are giving their time freely to make sure that you can vote.

Some gentle reminders:  Be patient when requesting or waiting for a ride.  Don’t do anything to distract the driver during the ride.  Thank your driver. 

If you want to volunteer to drive people to the polls, send me your name and contact information, and I’ll pass that on to groups seeking volunteers.

Check on friends/neighbors who might need a ride to the polls.  If they do, let them know about these groups.

I will send out an updated list of Free Rides to the Polls/Satellite Offices in 7-10 days.

Where and when you can vote over-the-counter OR drop off your voted mail-in ballot:

Now through October 27:  Monday-Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Elections Division Office, Room 601, County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh PA 15219.

Over-the-counter Satellite Voting and Ballot Drop-Off Locations:

Saturday, October 10 – 9 AM to 5 PM   and   Sunday, October 11 – 11 AM to 7 PM

County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue, Room 601, Downtown Pittsburgh, 15219

North Park Ice Rink, 1200 Pierce Mill Road, Wexford, PA 15090

South Park Ice Rink, 300 Corrigan Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102

DPW Garage # 2 (Carnegie), 1040 Campbells Run Road, Carnegie, PA 15106

CCAC Homewood, 701 North Homewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15208

Saturday, October 17 – 9 AM to 5 PM    and   Sunday, October 18 – 11 AM to 7 PM

County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue, Room 601, Downtown Pittsburgh, 15219

South Park Ice Rink, 300 Corrigan Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102

CCAC South, 1750 Clairton Road, West Mifflin, PA 15122

Boyce Park Ski Lodge, 901 Centerview Drive, Plum, PA 15239

Shop ‘n Save Hill District, 1850 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Saturday, October 24 – 9 AM to 5 PM   and   Sunday, October 25 – 11 AM to 7 PM

County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue, Room 601, Downtown Pittsburgh, 15219

Boyce Park Ski Lodge, 901 Centerview Drive, Plum, PA 15239

CCAC South, 1750 Clairton Road, West Mifflin, PA 15122

CCAC Allegheny, 807 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

North Park Ice Rink, 1200 Pierce Mill Road, Wexford, PA 15090

You can also vote at your polling place on Election Day, November 3 between 7 am and 8 pm.  However, you CANNOT drop off a voted mail-in ballot at your polling place.