US Companies Urge Its Employees to Vote

Over 800 companies including Nike, pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories, and technology company Qualcomm are encouraging its workers to vote.

This in line of participating in a CEO-led bipartisan activist Time to Vote, which encourages companies to give employees at least a few hours off to vote.

Starbucks Chief Executive Kevin Johnson said last month people worked out with their managers when they can head to polls.

Johnson said that the move is partly motivated by concerns about Black voter suppression. Starbucks is also encouraging its over 200,000 U.S. employees to vote from its mobile app.

"We know that barriers exist, notably in Black and Brown communities throughout the nation, that lend to systemic racism and require greater voter access and protections. No (employee) will have to choose between working their shift or voting on or before Election Day," Johnson was quoted in a report.

Policy on securing time off for workers to vote vary by state.

In New York, workers can be paid for up to two hours to vote. However, they may be required to give advance notice.

Workers get one hour of unpaid time in the state of Alabama.

"Voting is always important, but the degree of partisan polarization this year seems to be extraordinarily high," Jonathan Entin, professor of political science at Case Western Reserve University, was quoted in a report.

Entin said this makes the stakes of the election unusually high as well.

U.S. companies like Tiffany & Co, Levi Strauss, and Walmart have offered paid time off or flexible working hours to its workers.

A spokesman for packaged food company Conagra Brands said that if an employee needs an extra time to vote or work to the polls, they can work with their managers on creating a flexible working schedule.

Some U.S. companies like Kraft , Heinz , and Target have also set up website to guide their employees on registering to vote and learning about the candidates.

This is in partnership with League of Women Voters and National Association of Manufacturers.

Several states have warned in recent months that they may not have enough poll wokers.

In Maryland, it was one point estimating it was short 14,000 people.

Companies like Target and The Gap have responded through offering paid time off to volunteer as poll workeers.

Poll sites are expected to have a shortage in volunteers as older people are more at risk to COVID-19 infections.

The two companies have joined 150 other including Amazon and Etsy to help sign up 350,000 new volunteers through a corporate-led campaign called the Civic Alliance.

According to the group's website, it aims to drive historic voter turnout in 2020.

Many voters in primary elections were stuck in lines for hours due to a decline in polling locations.

Election officials were also overwhelmed with the surge in absentee ballots due to concerns over COVID-19 pandemic.

Other companies including Twitter and Apple are also giving its workers paid time off to get ballot boxes.

Old Navy are also encouraging its working force to volunteer at local polling stations.

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