3 Ways Companies Can Encourage Employees to Vote

Oct 5, 2022

Voting is a vital part of actively participating in a democracy. Organizations – whether they’re nonprofit or for-profit – have a civic responsibility to encourage employees to vote, from making their own voices heard to volunteering to ensuring others have the same opportunity. 

A responsible, engaged company will use its power and influence, from a nonpartisan standpoint, to encourage voter engagement, equipping their workforce with the tools and resources they need to get involved.

This is the first in a four-part series designed to help you help your employees activate in the upcoming 2022 election season and beyond. Here’s how you can help prepare your staff to show up for Election Day on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, and make their own plan to mobilize and advocate for fair and equitable voting across the U.S. 

1. Encourage employees to check their voter registration status.

Does your organization send out a weekly or monthly newsletter? Encourage your employees to confirm they’re registered to vote. Include a link they can use to check their voter registration status in advance so they’re able to ensure they’ll be able to vote in their upcoming local, state and national elections. You can also draft a sample email to encourage employees to vote and keep it in your files to use in future election seasons.

Encouraging your employees to be civically engaged is not just about volunteering. Making the space and creating workplace policies that equip all employees to vote is critical – they expect it, and communities depend on it. Voting is a major way we all take action for change.

– Katie Stearns, chief global corporate solutions officer, Points of Light

2. Give your employees paid time off to vote or volunteer.

One of the primary roadblocks for American voters is the ability to show up to the polls on Election Day. When employees don’t have to factor their paycheck into making their voice heard at the polls, voting becomes an accessible civic activity for all. Review your benefits package to confirm that you offer paid time off for voting – or take it a step further by offering paid volunteer time off so they can lend their time and talents to other voters at the polls on Election Day.

3. Check out resources from Civic Alliance. 

The Civic Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of businesses united by a commitment to a thriving democracy. As a corporation or nonprofit, you can join the 1,277 companies that make up The Civic Alliance to reach your corporate social responsibility goals and glean more knowledge about how your company can help sustain and strengthen our democracy. They even offer a Corporate Civic Playbook to deepen your employee engagement in practical, feasible ways.

If you haven’t yet read our Civic Life Today issue on Vote, we encourage you to check it out. It’s packed with information about the voting process, tips to activate around voting and interviews with political leaders.


Don’t miss our next piece in this series, where we cover how you can support your employees to learn more about the issues and the candidates, as well as provide educational resources.


Points of Light

We are champions of civic engagement with a mission to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world.