Ride VIA to Vote: Buses, VIA Link and VIAtrans Run Fare-Free to the Polls on Election Day
VIA Metropolitan Transit is running fare-free service to polling locations all day Tuesday — tell the operator you are traveling to vote, or show a valid Bexar County voter registration card, and the ride is on VIA.
No San Antonio voter has to miss Election Day for want of a ride. As part of its long-standing "Ride VIA to Vote" program, VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer fare-free service to polling locations for the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, the transit agency announced. Customers may receive a complimentary fare by informing the operator upon boarding that they are traveling to vote or by presenting a valid Bexar County voter registration card.
The complimentary service is available for regular bus service, VIA Link and VIAtrans paratransit service throughout the VIA service area, the agency said, with the stated goal of encouraging civic engagement and providing transportation for voters who may not otherwise be able to get to and from their polling locations. Registered VIAtrans customers should schedule their trip in accordance with VIAtrans policies and procedures by phone or online, and VIA Link trips are available within designated service zones, with connections to the wider VIA system for travel outside a zone.
VIA has provided free trips to the polls since launching the Ride VIA to Vote initiative in March 2016, and customers can plan a trip using the GO VIA app. The offer pairs with Bexar County's vote-center system: on Election Day, county voters may cast a ballot at any Election Day vote center in the county, not only the one in their home precinct, so riders can choose the location most convenient to their route. A complete list of Election Day vote centers is at elections.bexar.org, and polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
