A few weeks ago, 41 of our members flew to Washington D.C.,
where they held 135 meetings to educate lawmakers about our industry and the
way their decisions impact it.
This was our second annual event, and I’m pleased to see that
participation grew – both in the number of attendees and in the number of
meetings – from last year. It shows our industry recognizes the need to form
strategic relationships with their elected officials and that those officials
want to hear from us.
Right now, you don’t need to go to Washington to drive
government change. With elections less than four months away, all you need to
do is vote. And urge others to do it too.
Need a reason to vote? Watch this video.
This week, NAED Government Affairs launched a “Get Out The Vote”
campaign to encourage the industry to take its voice to the voting booth. At our Government Action Center, you’ll find
information for casting an informed ballot in your zip code.
You’ll also find some tools for leading workplace voter
education efforts. These initiatives are as simple as:
- Sending
an email. Use NAED’s calendar and letter templates to send an all-staff
email, reminding them of voter-registration deadlines, early voting dates and
Election Day.
- Hanging
up a poster. Download a “get out the vote” poster to print and post in a
break room or other office common area.
- Holding a
meeting. Use an event or staff meeting to discuss political participation.
While you can’t tell employees how to vote, you can let them know which issues
matter most to your company.
- Providing
time off. Help your people get to the polls by allowing some scheduling
flexibility on Election Day.
Our registered lobbyist Ed Orlet, vice president of NAED
Government Affairs, can also help you arrange onsite candidate meet-and-greets
and voter education events. Don’t hesitate to contact him with questions or
ideas.
Leading up to Election Day, we’ll be rolling out some new
features on the Government Action Center, including voting records from the 112th
Congress and real-time election results. Keep up with the latest developments
with our Government Affairs e-newsletter.