How to talk to your employees about transit
The transit vote is quickly approaching. If you are an employer, here is how you can get involved with transit in your business.
Helping employees make a voting plan
Research has shown that making a voting plan can increase the likelihood that someone will actually turnout for an election. A voting plan is determining the logistics of when, where and how you will vote. Here are the questions to ask to encourage your employees to get out and vote FOR transit:
- Are you registered to vote? You can register online here.
- Is your registration up to date with your current address? Check your registration status here.
- Are you going to participate in early voting? Find early voting locations and times here.
- Are you going to vote on election day, May 1? Find your polling place.
- Do you need a ride to the polls? We can help you get there.
Share your enthusiasm
In 2012, an experiment using Facebook showed the power of social pressure. Users that were shown a message indicating which of their Facebook friends had already voted were more likely to go out and vote than users who were just given information about an election or not shown any message.
Sharing information on social media can be a good way to encourage your friends, family and employees to vote. Let your employees know that you plan to vote, and they may be more inclined to follow suit. You can find examples of posts to share on the Transit for Nashville Facebook and Twitter pages.
Give staff time off to go vote
Tennessee state law requires that employers provide at least 3 hours of paid leave for employees that want to vote in an election, unless their shift starts 3 hours after polls open or ends 3 hours before polls close. Make sure you are giving your employees their right to vote!
Inform your employees about the transit plan
Sometimes, employers can be skittish about sharing their views on an election. In this case, it is totally fine for employers to share information about the transit plan with their employees. As long as you do not tell employees how to vote, even nonprofits and charities are free to inform their employees about the proposed plan.
One way to make sure your employees have the right information is to host a transit talk in your business. Transit For Nashville is sending representatives to share information and answers questions about the transit plan. Click here to schedule a transit talk in your business.
Celebrate voting and civic engagement
Tennessee has some of the lowest numbers in the country for voter registration and turnout. Employers can help change this culture by making voting more fun. This could mean carpooling to the polls and then providing lunch, or just thanking employees that take the time to vote.
If you want ideas on fun Get Out The Vote ideas, let us know and we will share some of the best ideas we’re hearing about from other Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce member businesses.
If you would like to get more involved in the transit campaign, visit TransitForNashville.com. If you’d like to read our latest research on the transit plan, please visit our Transit page here.