In addition to its toll on public health and our economy, the COVID-19 pandemic also threatens to disenfranchise voters and cause widespread chaos on Election Day. Most states’ election systems will be strained beyond capacity due to:
- Massive increases in absentee voters combined with high voter turnout
- Shortage of poll workers, polling facilities, and PPE due to health concerns
- Insufficient resources for mail-in ballot processing and safe in-person polls
- Misinformation about the reliability of voting by mail
What if these shortfalls are not addressed? Can we afford the national turmoil of an election where voters and public officials don’t trust the results?
Let’s not find out.
The business community can make a difference by contributing personnel, facilities, and resources to ensure the 2020 election is safe, secure, and accessible to all.
Are you interested in getting your business involved? Fill out our interest form and we'll be in touch.
Business for America (BFA), as part of the nonpartisan VoteSafe coalition, is mobilizing a national network of civic-minded businesses to assist election administrators in their communities and across the country. Businesses will be invited to support elections by providing:
- Employee volunteers. Poll workers and ballot counting operations.
- Equipment and supplies. Safety supplies like PPE and hand sanitizer, equipment like envelope stuffers and dropboxes, and office supplies like pens and sorting bins.
- Facilities and logistics. Polling places in empty offices or warehouses, fleet vehicles for ballot pickup, ballot dropboxes on company property.
- Tech. Pro bono election technology and cybersecurity assistance.
- Communications. Voter guides, social media content, public service announcements.
We are now active in the following states: California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
What are companies doing?
These companies are offering direct assistance to state and local election officials.
- Patagonia will be designating their stores in Pittsburgh and Atlanta as “Voter Centers” and donating several thousand face masks in a few states
- Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises is gearing up to produce a series of PSAs to inform voters about how to request an absentee ballot
- REI – the 18+ million outdoor recreation member co-op will provide PPE to poll workers and voters in various states
- Seventh Generation – the sustainable household cleaning products company will provide hand sanitizer to support voting among Native Americans residing on tribal lands in multiple states
- ECOS – the healthy home cleaning products company is offering disinfecting spray to election officials
- New Balance - 24,000 face masks to voters in four states
- And more are signing up every day!
Other companies are helping to get out the vote and supporting poll workers in their communities.
- Coca Cola is enlisting employees in Georgia and other states to support GOTV efforts
- Warby Parker – the eyewear company will help get out the vote in a number of African-American communities in the South
- Sweetgreen is providing lunches to poll workers in several states as part of their "Bowls to the Polls" campaign
- The personal transportation company Lime will provide free access to their scooters in multiple states on Election Day
- Mobility Works, specializing in handicapped accessible vans, will make 200 vans available on Election Day for $1.00 to people wishing to transport wheelchair bound people to the polls
