As early voting nears its end, some metro Atlanta workers will likely have to stand in long lines Nov. 6 for what could be a historic election.
With that in mind, Atlanta-based Farm Burger will delay opening its doors to 12:30 p.m. at each of its 12 locations across the country. The burger chain has locations in Buckhead, Decatur, Dunwoody and Grant Park.
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The late opening is part of the company’s effort to provide employees ample time to cast their ballots. Under Georgia law, employers must allow workers up to two hours off to vote.
Farm Burger will also offer a free side of fries to anyone with a voting sticker on Nov. 6. The company expects to lose at least $8,000 in profit due to the delayed opening.
The burger chain is just one of a growing list of employers nationwide concerned about their workers ability to cast ballots on Election Day. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center study, 35 percent of non-voters said they don't vote because of scheduling conflicts or work obligations.
Companies such as DICK's Sporting Goods, which has 21 stores in Georgia, partnered with political organization Time to Vote to potentially increase votership.
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The company offers its corporate employees up to two hours paid time off to vote and have asked retail managers to be flexible in scheduling to ensure employees can vote, spokeswoman Daniela Ritter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in an email.
Walmart also joined the Time to Vote campaign and said in an email Friday morning they have policies in place to ensure they have the opportunity to vote.
Several metro Atlanta school districts are also closed for Election Day. School districts closed on Nov. 6 include, Atlanta Public Schools, Fulton County Public Schools, Clayton County Public Schools and DeKalb County School District. Here is a complete list of school closures.
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