ICM Partners announced this morning that it will mark the coming Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020, as a paid holiday to allow employees time to vote.
“We strongly believe that no one should have to choose between their paycheck and their right to vote,” the agency wrote in a note distributed to employees. The agency will also distribute voting and registration information beforehand.
Here is the text of the note sent to ICM staff:
During the last presidential election, 100 million+ voting-eligible Americans did not vote and 35% of nonvoters say that scheduling conflicts with work or school kept them from getting to the polls. In addition to paid time off on Election Day, our ICM Politics department will once again distribute company-wide voter information to ensure that all our employees have the education and information they need to vote, including registration information and relevant deadlines.
We strongly believe that no one should have to choose between their paycheck and their right to vote and encourage every employee to take the time to cast their ballot this November, either in person or by mail.
Earlier this month, ICM Partners recognized Juneteenth and made it an annual paid holiday. The agency also observed the nationwide “Black Out Tuesday” in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The event was meant to be “a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community” via “an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change.”
The agency launched ICM Politics, a first-of-its-kind department amongst agencies, in 2017. The effort is headed by Hannah Linkenhoker. ICM Politics has been an active participant in every election since its founding. The department has facilitated client engagement around voter registration and census awareness initiatives with many organizations throughout the country. It has been an active partner with Michelle Obama’s “When We All Vote” organization.
The department has hosted events with numerous candidates, including presidential Senator Cory Booker and Senator Amy Klobuchar, as well as individual and panel discussions with Senators Kamala Harris, Chris Coons, Diane Feinstein, Jeff Flake, Heidi Heitkamp and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti. It has brought in numerous state attorney general candidates, congressional candidates, governors and addressed many of the crucial “down-ballot” races and initiatives.