Jul 20 2020
Haley Winckler

Time to Vote

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Ah, Election Day. An opportunity to participate in democracy, make your voice heard, and post that “I VOTED” sticker all over the 'gram.

In previous years, voter turnout in the United States has been less than stellar. In the 2016 general election, just under 56% of the voting age population showed up at the polls. Compare that to the other member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, where the U.S. ranks 26 out of 32.

Political scientists and survey researchers cite different reasons for low turnout relative to other democratic countries—dissatisfaction with candidates, political apathy, or not having the time to get to one’s polling location due to work or school commitments.

While there are many hurdles to voting, Centro aims to alleviate the major deciding factor of choosing between one’s commitment to their work, and their commitment to casting a ballot. Election day occurs on a weekday, and the process of voting in-person often takes hours. That’s where Time to Vote comes in.

What is Time to Vote?

Centro is proud to stand alongside a diverse coalition of 400+ companies that are committed to ensuring their employees have a work schedule that allows them adequate time to vote in the upcoming presidential elections.

The Time to Vote coalition is a nonpartisan movement led by the business community to contribute to the culture shift needed to increase voter participation in our country's elections. By offering our Centrons in the U.S. and Canada a paid half day off for Election Day, Centro is committing to making accommodations for workers that help enable them to vote.

Time to Vote is nonpartisan and there is no cost for companies to join. Nearly 400 companies with employees in every state in the U.S. have signed up. Members include Best Buy, Farmers Insurance, Gap Inc., Glossier Inc., Hewlett Packard Enterprise, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Levi Strauss & Co., Lyft, PayPal, Target, VF Corporation, Walmart, Warby Parker and more.

Why is Time to Vote important?

Time to Vote was started during the election season of 2018, in which fifty-three percent of the citizen voting-age population voted, making for the highest midterm turnout in four decades.

In comparison, the 2014 election had the lowest—only 21% of millennials voted, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. When 80% of young voters choose not to participate in the election process, business leaders should take more steps to encourage full participation by employees in exercising their right to vote.

I, myself, am among some of the eldest members of the generation that follows Millennials, Generation Z. As myself and my peers mature and enter the workforce, our values and goals are likely to change the way people approach work.

As a potential employee prospecting a company to work for, involvement in a coalition like Time to Vote is attractive because it tells me that this business truly cares about both its employees lives outside of work as well as the community and world in which it conducts business.

Centro’s membership in this organization aligns with our Guiding Principles, including Self Improvement and Believe Impact is Possible. In participating in Time to Vote’s initiatives, Centro is committed to continuous investment in the growth of our team members while, at the same time, requiring each person to actively take responsibility for their own self-development and well-being.

Where can I learn more?

To learn more about Time to Vote, head to their website.

Want to learn about Centro’s other employee benefits and perks? Check them out here.

Sources
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/05/21/u-s-voter-turnout-trails-most-developed-countries/
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/06/01/dislike-of-candidates-or-campaign-issues-was-most-common-reason-for-not-voting-in-2016/
https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/04/behind-2018-united-states-midterm-election-turnout.html
http://www.civicyouth.org/21-3-youth-turnout-preliminary-estimate-comparable-to-recent-midterm-years/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2019/09/10/how-generation-z-will-revolutionize-the-workplace/#5b574bb04f53