How can we have the biggest impact on people living in poverty this federal Election Cycle?  That’s the question that began Free Fare Elections, because free transit would make it a little bit easier for all Canadians to vote on Election Day.
 
Over three million Canadians live in poverty, which is more than 10% of our population.  If you’ve ever spent time with a low income single mother, or a senior living on a fixed income, or a full time construction worker, living homeless in one of our great cities, they’ll tell you about the choices they face everyday - the choice between diapers and rent, groceries and medication, work clothes and transportation.  They can recount the stressful hours they spend month after month calculating their budget down to the quantity of baby wipes, number of pills, and the number of transit trips they’ll take.  Is a monthly pass a more affordable option this month – or if I only buy and use 6 round trip tickets can I save a few dollars to buy my child a birthday present?
 
What if we alleviated this burden for all Canadians?  What would it say about Canada if Public Transportation was free on Election Day?  What would it say about our Democracy if we ensured equal access on the day that all Canadians how the power to help shape our joint future?  What would it say to low income Canadians if on one day every (one to) four years we removed barriers to accessing the polls so that their voices could be heard?
 
Imagine for a moment, you’re trying to make ends meet, planning and budgeting your day, working 3 jobs, struggling to keep yourself on time and in the right place just to scrape by. Imagine your life as a low-income Canadian and having to choose between transit today, and transit for work at the end of the month.  You have to work, or lose your job; you have to take transit because it’s the only option; should democracy be held hostage to equal access to the polls?
 
What is Free Fare Elections?  It’s a campaign aiming to make the biggest impact and remove one of the biggest burdens on low-income Canadians.  Free Fare Elections is about Free Public Transportation for every Canadian on Election Day.  It’s our right to vote!  It’s our right to get there!