Friday, October 23, 2026

Buses and Dial-A-Ride Go Fare-Free in Pasadena on Election Day

Metro and several other Los Angeles County transit agencies are also waiving fares as countywide vote centers begin opening Oct. 24

Pasadena Transit buses and Pasadena Dial-A-Ride will carry riders for free on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, according to the City of Pasadena, which said most polling places and ballot drop boxes in Pasadena are within a quarter mile of a Pasadena Transit bus stop.

The general election ballot includes races for governor and other statewide offices, 14 state propositions, Los Angeles County sheriff and county Measures A and E, according to LAist’s voter guide. In the last midterm general election, in November 2022, 43.86% of Los Angeles County’s 5,601,835 registered voters cast ballots, compared with 50.80% statewide, according to the California Secretary of State.

The city said transportation challenges can discourage participation and described the Election Day service as “free, convenient, and accessible service to voting sites.” Pasadena Transit lists schedules for 10 routes.

Dial-A-Ride serves residents 60 and older, and younger riders with an Access membership or a disabled reduced-fare TAP card, in Pasadena, Altadena, San Marino and nearby unincorporated areas, according to the city. The service runs 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, normally costs 75 cents each way and takes reservations at (626) 791-7200 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Metro, LADOT, BurbankBus, Montebello Bus Lines, Long Beach Transit and Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus are also offering free fares on Election Day, the city said. Metro is waiving fares on buses, trains, Metro Bike Share and Metro Micro from 4 a.m. Nov. 3 to 3 a.m. Nov. 4, MyNewsLA reported. Metro’s board voted in 2019 to offer free rides permanently on federal and statewide election days, according to the agency.

In Los Angeles County, 123 vote centers open Saturday, Oct. 24, and 523 more open Oct. 31, for a total of 646, along with 429 official ballot drop boxes, MyNewsLA reported. Vote centers are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, and mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day must be received by Nov. 10. Eligible residents who missed the Oct. 19 registration deadline for a mail ballot “can still vote in person at any Vote Center in Los Angeles County” starting Oct. 24, according to the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Voting information is at https://lavote.net/home/voting-elections/voting-options/voting-in-person.

Voters displaced by the 2025 wildfires do not need to change their registration and may add a temporary mailing address, according to the registrar’s office, which posts details at https://www.lavote.gov/recovery.

Riders can check bus arrivals and plan trips in the Transit app, https://transitapp.com/, according to the city. More information is at https://www.cityofpasadena.net/pasadena-transit/ or by calling (626) 744-4055 and pressing 2.