Business leaders throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania feel responsible for the interests of their employees, customers, communities, and economy. In the wake of the pandemic, many businesses and residents are suffering. PA businesses need relief, many facing possible shutdown due to unpaid bills and back-rent. Thousands of PA families are still unemployed and experiencing financial hardships. Millions in federal aid sit unspent.
Instead of focusing on these critical issues, our legislature is threatening to make it more difficult to vote.
The right to vote is sacred. Our elections must be both secure and inclusive — but we must not sacrifice one for the other. Civic-minded business leaders oppose any effort by the state legislature to make it harder for citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote. It is unfortunate, that since the November election and following two statewide post election audits confirming the accuracy of last fall's count and the results being certified, some legislators continue to call for another costly audit.
It doesn't have to be like this. In 2019, Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass the historic Act 77, the most significant improvement to Pennsylvania's elections in more than 80 years. Those changes served the commonwealth through the 2020 election, allowing our employees and neighbors to vote more safely and securely during the pandemic, whether by absentee ballot or at early voting centers with modern voting machines. Yet today, during a global pandemic and economic crisis, our legislature is threatening to make it more difficult to vote. This is resulting in political instability in Harrisburg and impeding economic recovery.
Please join the Pennsylvania business community in asking the legislature to abandon any initiative making it harder to vote, stop wasting taxpayer monies, and get Back to Business.
“There has never been a more important moment to make sure our employees and communities voices are heard. As a business committed to inclusion, we are calling on Congress to ensure in-person voting will be safe for all, and encourage expanding availability of vote-by-mail.”
Fabian Garcia, President
Unilever North America
“I believe that business leaders like me have a duty to protect the health of our employees, customers, and communities. At the same time, we have a duty to help protect our democracy. We can do both with voting by mail.”
Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, President & CEO
ECOS
“A successful democracy is dependent on active participation by its citizens. Anything that enables broad, secure and efficient participation by citizens—such as voting by mail—should be encouraged. It is an already widely used tool in many states, it is time to enable its use fully.”
Hugh Welsh, President & General Counsel
DSM North America
“Policy change is crucial to addressing issues of environment, equity, and justice. We urge elected officials to provide the tools needed for our community to be active and engaged citizens including exercising our right to vote, safely, in-person or by mail.”
Jenn Swain, Global Senior Sustainability Manager
Burton
“Vote By Mail makes it possible, no matter where our employees are, to exercise their constitutional right. Anything that makes voting easier and more accessible supports increasing inclusivity - an important core value to Eileen Fisher.”
Amy Hall, Vice President of Social Consciousness
Eileen Fisher
"We strongly believe that if every American were able to cast a vote, most of our larger problems—including climate change, equity, poverty, education—would take care of themselves. Mail-in ballots are a step in that direction."
Auden Schendler, SVP of Sustainability
Aspen Skiing Company
“The wellness of our employees at Badger is key to our success. Their ability to vote is part of that. Vote By Mail enables our team to effectively contribute to improving the civic health of their communities. Being able to vote without barriers, especially during this time of the pandemic is essential. Voting by mail ensures that.”
Rebecca Hamilton, CEO
W.S. Badger Company
“Recent primaries show 'in-person only' voting in the midst of a health crisis forces voters to choose between their safety and the opportunity to cast their ballot. Given the state of the COVID-19 pandemic, we support a secure and accessible vote-by-mail system that allows registered voters to easily and safely participate in our democracy.”
Michelle Kalberer, Co-Owner/Co-CEO
Klean Kanteen
Signatories
The following companies have signed our nonpartisan business letter urging Pennsylvania lawmakers to stop trying to make it harder to vote and focus instead on creating economic opportunities for our future.
Business Signatories
- Arcweb Technologies
Azavea
Culturally Congruent Solutions
Demme Learning
Ends Hair Design & Day Spa
Everyday Web
Good Karma Cafe
Herbert Yentis Realtors
Kitchen Garden Textiles
Little Giant Creative
Lobo Mau
MCS Industries
National Foundry Products
Nevins Real Estate Management
Nuts To You
Patagonia
Philly Office Retail
Pipeline Philly
QuotaPath
A Road to Success Cosmetology
Smith&Roller
Suburban Pharmacy
Sylvia Berkow’s Resale Shop
Virgin Hair Boudoir
Weckerly's Ice Cream
Wild Fox Farm
Business Groups & Trade Associations
- All Together Now Pennsylvania
West Philadelphia Corridor Collaborative
Resources
- The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 9, 2021 • Pa. Republicans started their 'forensic investigation' of the 2020 election. It's still unclear what that means.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer July 29, 2021 • Utilities disconnect 116,000 Pa. households after state lifts moratorium on pandemic shutoffs
- Reuters, July 12, 2021 • Philadelphia sees $40M in possible costs from Trump ally's election probe
- The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 10, 2021 • Pa. Republicans propose major election overhaul, with stricter voter ID rules and in-person early voting
- PennLive, June 10, 2021 • Pa. lawmakers to vote on widespread election changes, including curbside voting, ID requirements
- Concerned Business Leaders of Pennsylvania, November 3, 2020 • Protecting Pennsylvania's Economy By Ensuring A Fair Election
About Getting Back to Business PA
Getting Back to Business PA is co-managed by Business for America and the West Philadelphia Corridor Collaborative (WPPC), a network of several thousand small businesses that form a single entrepreneurship engine to accelerate growth. WPPC has facilitated $23 billion of investment and development in West Philadelphia and advocates for contracting opportunities with local and minority-owned businesses.
