Request
A rider shares the minimum information needed to schedule transportation, including pickup, contact, timing, return, and relevant accessibility needs.
Polls & Back · Election Day 2026
From your door to the polls—and back.
A simple public request is matched with an approved volunteer driver through ARGUS Ride Desk. The rider receives transportation; dispatch handles the coordination behind the scenes.
Confirm & match
A dispatcher confirms service coverage and capacity, then assigns an approved volunteer driver through ARGUS Ride Desk.
Vote & return
The driver completes the trip to the rider’s polling place. Dispatch coordinates the return ride and closes the assignment when the rider is safely back.
The public side stays simple.
Riders should not need to understand dispatch software or create an operator account. The public experience will be a straightforward request process backed by a human dispatcher who can confirm details, resolve timing questions, and communicate changes.
Before the ride
The rider confirms their own registration and polling place using official election resources. Polls & Back reviews the transportation request, checks whether the trip falls inside the published coverage area, and confirms whether an approved driver assignment is available.
When a ride is accepted, the rider receives practical confirmation: the planned pickup window, the communication method for updates, and any additional instructions needed for the trip.
During the ride
The volunteer driver provides transportation—not political advice. Drivers may not campaign, persuade, display partisan material as part of the service, or ask riders how they intend to vote. Riders are never required to discuss their ballot or support any organization.
Drivers follow normal safe-driving requirements and the Polls & Back operational protocol. Dispatch remains the coordination point for delays, route changes, assignment questions, and return-trip status.
The return trip
Polls & Back is designed as a round-trip service. The exact return process will depend on the final operating model, but the rider will not be expected to arrange an unrelated paid ride home after reaching the polls. Dispatch will track the return requirement as part of the assignment.
Behind the scenes: ARGUS Ride Desk
ARGUS gives authorized operators one shared view of requests, assignments, driver availability, ride status, and operational notes. It exists to reduce missed handoffs and fragmented communication. The public rider does not need access to ARGUS.
Operational access is limited by role. Dispatchers and approved drivers receive only the information needed for their assigned work. Rider information is used for coordination and safety, not campaign profiling or political outreach.
What the service does not do
- It does not register voters or determine voter eligibility.
- It does not select or change a rider’s polling place.
- It does not tell anyone how to vote.
- It does not provide rides in exchange for support, donations, or political activity.
- It does not guarantee an assignment until dispatch confirms one.
The ballot is personal. The ride can be collective.
Read the rider information now, or see how neighbors can help build the Election Day service.