Every election is important, but it’s safe to say that Election Day 2020 is going to be pretty d**n epic.
Unfortunately, exercising one’s right to vote can be difficult for many people. The closest polling station could be difficult to find transport to or voting hours could conflict with a person’s work schedule.
RELATED STORIES
Add a global pandemic into the mix, and that means fewer polling stations open, with fewer people to staff them, and long, socially-distanced lines.
There’s long been a push for Election Day to be a work holiday.
Or at the very least, mandating that companies allow a certain window of time for employees to go vote.
For example , in Canada citizens must be guaranteed a window of three consecutive hours to vote. If that conflicts with their work schedule, employers must let them take the time off.
Right now, in the USA, it’s mostly up to employers whether or not they’ll be flexible on Election Day.
One famous employer has decided to take a stand: Oprah.
In a tweet on August 18, as part of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, she announced that November 3, 2020 will be a company holiday for the Oprah Winfrey Network.
She states that this is to allow everyone in the company to have the time to exercise their right to vote safely.
Oprah also issued a challenge to all other business owners to do the same for their employees.
Not just the 2020 election either, but all future national and presidential elections.
Hopefully, more companies will follow suit for this incredibly important and difficult Election Day, and beyond.
h/t: CNN
Last Updated on August 23, 2020 by Amy Pilkington
