Workplaces Emerge as Key Driver in Boosting Voter Turnout

Improving voter turnout has historically presented a major challenge for campaign organizers and political action committees. Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent each election cycle on television advertising, social media campaigns, phone banks, and traditional canvassing, these methods rarely move participation rates significantly. Randomized trials indicate that even well-executed canvassing efforts generally increase turnout by only one or two percentage points at most.

However, recent research has uncovered a much more powerful lever for driving voter participation: America’s employers. Researchers linked LinkedIn employment records to voter files across 30 million workers at 377,000 companies, discovering that a person’s workplace plays a decisive role in whether they choose to vote. To account for employee selection bias, researchers from universities including Michigan, Harvard, Columbia, and Maryland also tracked 8 million job changers.

The findings revealed that workers who moved to a higher-scoring employer became 3.5 percentage points more likely to vote. Furthermore, individuals transitioning from an employer at the 25th percentile to one at the 75th percentile saw a 5.8 percentage point increase in their likelihood of casting a ballot, with these effects remaining consistent across various political affiliations.

Experts note that people are powerfully influenced by the environments where they spend the majority of their time, placing workplaces at the top of that list. Employers establish the tone for civic engagement by reminding staff that elections are happening and emphasizing that democratic participation matters. Additionally, management controls formal levers such as scheduling and leave policies that directly impact an employee's ability to get to the polls on Election Day.

Corporate leaders often overlook employee voting habits or remain unaware of their company's standing regarding civic engagement. Business leaders suggest that supporting democratic participation is a straightforward management task requiring minimal cost or administrative overhead. Simple measures, such as establishing a communications calendar to remind workers about early voting and Election Day, can make a substantial difference.

Many companies have also begun partnering with organizations like Power the Polls to recruit workers to serve as poll workers, offering small stipends and paid time off for participation. Nearly half of local election jurisdictions faced difficulties recruiting sufficient workers for recent general elections, leading to longer lines and increased friction for voters. Business leaders emphasize that encouraging poll workers helps alleviate these shortages.

Promoting civic participation among employees requires zero inquiry into individual political preferences or specific candidates, allowing corporate leaders to encourage voting without taking partisan positions or risking controversy. Furthermore, research suggests that voting is a habit-forming activity that persists even after employees change jobs, while also positively influencing household members. Ultimately, higher levels of participation foster greater trust in democracy, reinforcing the stability necessary for businesses to plan for the future, invest, and hire.