Elections are fast-approaching in Washington state, and Uber wants its customers to remember to register to vote.
The ride-hailing company sent an email to Uber users today with links to Washington voter registration. Today is the deadline for online and mail-in registrations if you want to vote in the Nov. 3 election. You can still register to vote in person until Oct. 26.
In the email, Uber urged its customers to register and support Seattle councilmembers who support the company’s practice.
“Here’s why this election is so important: all nine City Council positions will be up for a vote and you have an opportunity to make a big impact,” the Uber email states. “There’s too much at stake to sit on the sidelines — including how the Council manages the ridesharing options you depend on and whether our city will continue to get the full economic and transportation benefits that accompany this technology.”
The email, however, does not provide guidance as to which candidates Uber supports. We’ve reached out to Uber for clarification.
Uber’s presence in Seattle has been a rough ride, at least from the political side. In March 2014, Uber fired up its marketing engine when the Seattle City Council wanted to cap the number of drivers it could have on the road.
The company, which has raised more than $5 billion in funding, sent a mass email asking users to sign the “Save uberX Petition in Seattle,” with more than 30,000 people signing that petition.
The City Council originally approved a cap, but a coalition — which received more than $1 million in contributions from Uber and Lyft — helped get the ordinance suspended. The City removed that driver limit with a new agreement that also “established revised TNC insurance requirements, gave more rights to for-hire companies, set a 10-cent surcharge on each ride to fund wheelchair-accessible taxis, and added 200 taxi licenses over the next four years.”
More recently, Councilmember Mike O’Brien introduced legislation that would give Uber, Lyft and other “for-hire” drivers the right to unionize and fight for basic rights, like making minimum wage, via his “Giving Drivers a Voice” bill.
If you recall, O’Brien — who is up for re-election on the District 6 seat — was the lone councilmember who voted against legislation that legalized companies like Uber and Lyft one year ago in Seattle, citing issues with minimum insurance requirements.
The Stranger has a handy guide for those still wondering who to vote for.
