As the mess in Florida shows, it's too difficult to vote in the United States. I voted this morning (with my children) but had to wait in line for a while and almost had to bail so that I could get them to school. Election Day should be a national holiday. Not just a national holiday but a festive day of civic-minded celebration, like Election Day in places with much higher voter turnout. The idea is to create a culture of voting.
A few weeks ago, I told you about a campaign I was helping to organize with Good called Take Back Tuesday, which has encouraged citizens to create their own Election Day celebration. To that end, Take Back Tuesday has rallied businesses to stay closed today so that employees would have plenty of time to vote and otherwise celebrate democracy.
Sixty-seven businesses in 21 states plus DC have signed on. Among them is Made Movement in Colorado. Made's Alex Bogusky -- named Creative Director of the Decade by Adweek -- explains why his company is giving up a day's profits.
Election Day is my company's new favorite holiday, and on November 6, we're going to vote and party. It’s no small thing for a business to give up a profit-making day, but it’s a price we’re happy to pay, in support of the democracy that has made our business possible in the first place.
Our employees won’t be required to vote, but we’re confident that the day off will put some in a civic state of mind, and maybe their voting will inspire others to do the same. People see voting as a social responsibility they’d like to fulfill; they just need a nudge.
Here's a
full list of the businesses taking part.
GOOD, Los Angeles, CA
Wearable Collections, Brooklyn, NY
Momentum Strategic Marketing, Montgomery Village, MD
State of Unique, Los Angeles, CA
Open, New York, NY
Cartridge World Phillipsburg, Phillipsburg, NJ
Multi Products Inc., Evansville, IN
Channeling Media LLC, New York, NY
Hattery, San Francisco, CA
Blue Canary Design, St. Louis, MO
Human Condition, Brooklyn, NY
Katona Realty, BUCYRUS, OH
Made Movement, Boulder, CO,
PaperCUTS Document Solutions of KY, Louisville, KY
The Workshop, New York, NY
One Percent Foundation, San Francisco, CA
m ss ng p eces, Brooklyn, NY
Farinella LLC, Oakland, CA
Really Really Big Industries, Chicago, Il
Little Things Labs, Detroit, MI
Kiss Me I'm Polish LLC, New York , NY
Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies, San Francisco, CA
HOLSTEE, New York, NY
N.R. Stichler Photography, Lebanon, Pa
Student Peace Alliance, Washington, DC
Neiman, Philadelphia, PA
Isidore Electronics Recycling, Los Angeles, CA
Rock Scissor Paper, San Fernando, CA
Hawaii Center for AIDS/Clint Spencer Clinic, Honolulu, HI
ForkFly, Portland, OR
Another Studio, Chicago, IL
Green Circle Accounting, Cooperstown, NY
Austin Music People, Austin, TX
CMLB, Washington, DC
Verve Solutions, Little Rock, AR
Farm2Me, New York, NY
Kiva, San Francisco, CA
ReWork, Boulder, CO
holland archer, Raleigh, Nc
overprint inc., Brooklyn, NY
Sport Science, Fairfax, VA
Cargo, Los Angeles, CA
Creable, LA, CA
Farm to Ladle, Detroit, MI
officina, Brooklyn, NY
Limelight Custom Sign Co., Mt. Pleasant, SC
Karst inc, North Charleston, Sc
The Butler Bros, Austin , TX
COUCH Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Joyfi, Charleston, SC
Urban Worm, Berkeley, CA
Project Repat, Boston, MA
Sons of Zeus, Austin, TX
Billeebug, Nashville, TN
Neighborland, San Francisco, CA
Regenesis Management Group, Denver, CO
Premier Grants LP, Lebanon, PA
Bread & Butter, Reston, VA
The Ocean Project, Providence, RI
Common Ground Consulting LLC, Washington, DC
Vianova, San Diego, CA
Dreamentia, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
Break Away, Atlanta, GA
Archizona Architect inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL
Billeebug LLC, Nashville, TN
Taproot Foundation, San Francisco, CA
Collaborative Fund, Brooklyn, NY