Need time off to cast your ballot on Election Day? Four metro Atlanta companies are giving employees a paid day off to do just that.
As a part of a larger movement called "Take Off Election Day", Authentica Solutions, an education management firm, covello, a think tank, Glipple, a music streaming site and Switchyards, a tech startup, have partnered with the 337 companies across the nation skipping work to vote on Nov. 8.
"The goal is to get people to vote," Michael Tavani, founder of Switchyards, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But I think the focus is less on the day off and more on finding out why people aren't voting. I think getting the day off addresses a lot of those reasons."
For M. Cole Jones, co-founder of covello, he wants to ensure his employees are setting examples.
"It is very important that we provide an environment to let our team know that every vote counts. Make sure your voice is not only heard but also represented in the foundation that you establish for your children and their future,"he said.
While the "Take Off Election Day” initiative has mainly attracted smaller firms, more notable businesses, including General Motors and Western Union, have also joined the campaign. But Tavani hopes the government will get on board, too, by making "Take Off Election Day" a national holiday.
"The idea that we don't have 100 percent of citizens voting in our county is frustrating. We should do whatever we need to do to encourage more people to vote."
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