Oprah Winfrey, Jason Blum and A3 Artists Agency want their employees to take the day off for Election Day on Nov. 3.
Winfrey made the announcement Tuesday through her Instagram account in connection with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment.
“In honor of those who fought and continue to fight for our rights, I’m announcing that November 3rd, Election Day, will be a company holiday at @owntv. This will give my team the necessary time to put on their masks, get to the polls, cast their ballots, and volunteer. I challenge other companies to do the same because this might be the most important election of our lives. Together we can overcome all obstacles in order to exercise our right to vote,” the media mogul said.
OWN has also announced the Own Your Vote initiative to empower OWN viewers with the tools they need to make their voices heard this election season: “This bipartisan campaign of actions and events — for and with Black women — helps connect our viewers to urgent political issues, gives their concerns a powerful microphone, and places a spotlight on key community issues.”
The notion of a voting holiday has not yet caught on widely in the United States. Twitter announced in June that employees would be given the day off. ICM Partners told staff in early July that they would be given the day off to vote and Universal Music Group made a similar announcement on July 17. Coca-Cola agreed to do so on Aug. 17 following a challenge to several corporations by comedian Sarah Silverman.
Blum announced on Twitter on Wednesday that his Blumhouse Productions would recognize Nov. 3 as a national holiday.
The top execs at A3 — CEO Robert Attermann, president Brian Cho and chairman Adam Bold — informed employees on Wednesday of the new policy.
“Exercising your right to vote is essential to being a good citizen and having your voice be heard,” they said. “This Election Day, A3 encourages all of its employees to vote and support employees’ civic engagement and discourse – both in their local and digital communities. In support of our responsibility to participate in the political process, A3 will observe November 3, 2020 as a paid holiday. We hope this provides the opportunity for every single employee to make their way to the polls (if you wish to vote in person rather than by mail) and volunteer in any way you can on Election Day.”