Cleveland VOTES advisory board member--and democracy enthusiast--Donté Gibbs makes the case for why your workplace should give people time off to vote on Election Day.
As we all gear up for the 2024 General Election November 5th, it’s important that we not only reflect on our individual civic duty, but also promote a robust engaged citizenry. I promise not to make this post feel like the many political calls, texts, or emails we receive as we get closer to Election Day. Instead, as a Cleveland VOTES board member I am encouraging each of us to create a civic engagement plan that includes the following:
Creating a voting plan and helping our neighbors do so, too,
And encouraging your workplace to allow time off to vote.
Democracy is a verb.
Oftentimes, we let life happen and continue on in our respective routines as we race against the clock. But in that daily cycle, where do we find hope? Where do we experience joy? We find hope collectively knowing there is value in our voice, and
thus value in our vote! We experience joy through democracy! It is through this collective action that trust is restored and change occurs. It is this empowering force of shared civic engagement that gives rise to who we are and who we can become. It is not about political debates at the water cooler, or red or blue---it is about each and every one of us showing up at the polls to cast votes. And to make it as easy as possible to cast those votes.
Making time off to vote part of your engagement strategy
If businesses and organizations provide time off for their employees to vote, we can increase voter participation, foster a culture of voter education, and experience joy in democracy. I know what you are thinking, “Just go vote before or after work,” or “That’s their personal responsibility.” We all know mornings are unpredictable. It’s like when we say, we will get gas in the morning, and it turns out to be the biggest pain. We all mean well, but life, lifes. Furthermore, each of our employment statuses and roles are different and provide a varying degree of flexibility. This is a chance for all employees to be #Engaged by equitably participating by casting their vote [with time off from their employer] in this year’s General Election.
To commit to providing time off for your employees to vote, sign the pledge here. Below are organizations and businesses who have already pledged to give employees time off. To learn more about the time off to vote movement, visit Time to Vote.
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