We stand for

the equal right

to vote

No matter your zip code, race, ethnicity, color, who you vote for, what language you speak, or whether you are our customers, one thing is clear: we all value the right to vote, and believe that all eligible Americans should have free, fair, and safe access to this fundamental right.

This is why 250 companies and business organizations of all sizes and sectors from across the country have come together to urge Congress to introduce and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, to make fair and safe access to voting real for all. Because the freedom to vote is everyone’s business.

Business Letter Urging Congress to Continue Protecting Voting Rights

February 1, 2022

As employers and successful business leaders, we know that the health of our economy depends on the health of our democracy. This basic premise is not in dispute. Where the rule of law and full representation is the norm, businesses can flourish and economies grow. This is true of America’s own past. In the years following the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, where voting rights were more strongly enforced we saw the racial wealth gap shrink more quickly. The opposite sadly may be true of our future: Last July, Fitch Ratings gave the United States a “negative outlook” in part because “[t]he redrafting of election laws in some states could weaken the political system, increasing divergence between votes cast and party representation.” Our experience is clear: the health and stability of American democracy is critical to a prosperous economy and threats to democracy are threats to the economy and the business community.

We recognize that much has changed since passage of the original Voting Rights Act, but the stability of American democracy is as important now as it was back then. Confidence in the integrity of the electoral system is critical to the long-term health of our democracy, and yet majorities of Americans have doubts about our democracy today.

This is a defining moment for our democracy. Although the Senate has recently voted on voting rights legislation, the moment has not passed. We are calling upon you, our country’s leaders, to rise to the moment, transcend partisanship, and find a path forward to protect the right to vote. These issues are not partisan. They are American and they call for a genuine, bipartisan commitment — a commitment by Americans as Americans — to ensure that our country continues to strive to fulfill the democratic principles upon which it was founded. We have seen that kind of commitment before. We need to see it again.

Excerpt from our July 14 business letter to Congress

In the 2020 election, Americans came together to work the polls, get out the vote, and cast their ballots in spite of the pandemic, achieving historic levels of voter participation. The business community is proud of our role in encouraging our employees, customers, and communities to exercise their right to vote and have a say in our government. Widespread civic engagement is essential to a stable society and robust economy. Our democracy is strongest, as Congressman Lewis knew, when we all can vote.

At the same time, the election highlighted deep inequities in how our elections are run. Despite decades of progress, impediments to exercising the right to vote persist in many states, especially for communities of color. We need federal protections to safeguard this fundamental right for all Americans.

To this end, the undersigned group of U.S. employers urges Congress to address these problems through legislation amending the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

While each of our companies is unique, we are united in the belief that every American deserves a voice in our democracy. It is our government’s role to ensure voting is accessible to all. We urge Congress to add to the legacy of Representative Lewis by passing Voting Rights Act legislation that assures that every voice is heard.

Read the full letter and list of signatories »