Saskatoon city council has voted unanimously to give voters free transit rides to the polls on election day.

"It's an opportunity to possibly engage as many people as we can reach out to, to come out and enjoy the democratic process," said Councillor Darren Hill, who requested the meeting.

The initiative means Saskatoon Transit will lose an estimated $13,000 in revenue. This would mean the funding for Transit's promotions program would be over-budget by about $10,000.

In the past, Saskatoon has offered free bus rides for municipal elections. Transit tickets were sent out with voter information flyers and were available online. Although people were encouraged to take the bus to polling stations, participation was extremely low.

For this election, riders will be able to get on and off the bus without having to print off tickets.

Administration will also be looking at expanding the free transit program for next year's provincial election.

The City of Regina says it has no plans to provide free bus service during the federal election, but does provide free rides during municipal election days.