Patricia Dern enjoys walking her dog, Charlie Brown, though she still finds it very hard to get up and down the stairs of her apartment building in Allegany County after having knee surgery on both legs a couple years ago.

"I feel the pains in there," said Dern. "I feel the throbbing and everything. I feel the pain shooting up and down my legs."

What You Need To Know

  • Allegany County Democratic Committee offered free rides to voters during early voting

  • Committee members did not ask a voter's party affiliation as part of the request

  • The effort was part of the committee's ongoing community service projects

Dern also doesn't have a car.

"I don't drive," she said. "I don't drive at all."

She often has to walk, or rely on others to take her places, like to the polls during early voting. 

"I didn't think I was going to get there, to tell you the truth," said Dern.

So, Dern, a supporter of presidential candidate Donald Trump, reached out to the Democratic Committee of Allegany County, and scheduled a ride to her polling site after hearing the group was offering to drive voters of any party to the polls.

"[I was] very, very proud. I was glad," she said. "Oh man, I was so happy because I really wanted to get down there to vote."

Committee leaders only offer the service during early voting, and say they do not ask a person's party affiliation when scheduling a ride, knowing while the state typically votes blue, Allegany is historically a red county.

Despite not being in the majority party, Committee Chair Karen Ash says the group can still have a positive impact on the quality of life in the community.

"Offer your help to everyone equally," said Ash. "Clearly we are a partisan organization, but we have intentionally made community service the cornerstone of what our organization is doing in Allegany County."

While the group did receive some criticism for its civic engagement, Ash says their actions speak for themselves.

"We are residents. We are neighbors. We're grandparents. We're school teachers. We're just like everybody else in this community," said Dern. "Anybody who wanted a ride, got a ride. And we're very proud of that."

Like Dern, who encourages others to use the service next time it's offered.

"They have a right, every right," she said. "They have a right to be heard. They have a right to be seen."