Walmart, Patagonia and Lyft Make Push to Increase Voter Turnout

Thank God, big money is not exclusively with Trump. I hope they will also oppose him if he wants to usurp the government mechanism in favor of personal dictatorship, that they will say NO.

"The stock markets are booming..."? Check your facts. The stock market is in a huge slide with almost a year of gains lost!

While somewhat coy, most of these business leaders are pretty clearly against Trump policies. Your article last week by Benioff of Salesforce about supporting a tax in San Francisco to help the homeless had him declaring definitively that Milton Friedman was wrong about his famous statement that "The business of business is business." I don't think you covered Ben & Jerry's new ice cream flavor that shows even more pushback against Trump policies. While increasingly obsolete, as more and more businesses show evidence of accepting a positive social or environmental role, the endurance of the Friedmanian "common wisdom" in the mainstream press and elsewhere keeps us from "seeing" some vitally important and needed good news. Stop the auto pilot statements that "business supports environmental rollbacks" just because the dinosaurs do, or talk to one of the green business trade associations and major practitioners of corporate social responsibility before you do. Once we become more aware of this new paradigm, we will see other possibilities for social and environmental problem-solving, in part through what had historically been seen as the villain. And this is just one of the kinds of transformational thinking we will need to address the many complex messes we're now seeing all over the place. It includes but goes beyond policies and politics.

Why pretend this isn't partisan? Increasing voter turnout always helps the Democrats, that's why the GOP has always fought to repress it. Of course we will always have low voter turnout until every vote counts and counts equally. I live in a gerrymandered congressional district where the results were preordained by the Republicans who manipulated my district boundaries. The election for my district, like 85% of all US congressional districts, is essentially already determined. Unless you happen to live in one of the 15% of congressional districts that are even remotely competitive, your vote will have little to nothing to do with the results, at least for congress. Much of that is by design.

Bottom line “VOTE”!

I'm retired now, but most of the companies I've worked for gave time off for voting on Election Day. I thought this was normal. But the Times is acting as if this is a new trend and even attributing it to hostility to Trump.

Nice ad, but it will take more than a song to enable voting by the millions whose voting rights have been denied through state policies. Where is corporate America in fighting voter suppression?

We have the best government corporations can buy! But if they were really concerned about voter turn out, we would make elections national holidays and limit outside funding like so many other western democracies. Of course every other western democracy provides health care to its citizens so we can't be like them...

I voted (at home) the day after I received my ballot in the mail and to save King County some money, dropped off my completed ballot near the Magnuson Off-Leash area where there is a ballot collection box. Then my dogs and I went to the off leash area and there was much rejoicing (they love it there) as we walked the trails. I believe that I have never missed voting in any government election I was entitled to participate in. That's how important voting is to me. And mail-in (or drop off) ballots collection make it so easy...there is no excuse not to do so.

Kudos to these companies for supporting (all) the people's right to vote!

It's great to see a bright light amidst the dark skies of these times. I applaud these efforts. It would be great for them to expand this concept and work to get all states to provide options for early voting (also called "no excuse voting," where one doesn't need to provide a reason as with some absentee ballot voting; I think there are now 34 + DC), which is an excellent way to enable people to vote at their convenience.

My ballot was mailed to me at home weeks ago. I sat in the comfort of my home and filled out my ballot. The next day I dropped it at a site nearby. Each step of the way I received an email update so I knew that my ballot would be counted and there is a paper trail. Voting should be this humane and easy to audit nationwide. No excuses.

Congratulations to these and other businesses and organizations empowering voters to get to the polls. I hope that more will follow suit. In Canada, we voted out a Trump-ish Prime Minister and his government several years ago. Better days are possible; and they start with as many voters as possible getting out and voting. The rest of the world is watching, in hope.

We need to make voting an important act of citizenship and freedom of speech and provide easy ways to achieve that goal. I am pleased see that companies are taking a stance against the vulgarian nitwit in the White House. They will be a sizable positive influence.

"Walmart created a website with resources to help people get informed and to the polls." Wow, really going all out Walmart! What's next, lunchbreaks?

I already mailed my vote, and the other day I accompanied my wife to early voting not too far from my house. The place was a very small room inside a Fiesta grocery store. It had about a dozen voting machine. There was a long line stretched to the outside the grocery store waiting to vote. The person in charge told me that the line is always long from 8 am till 4:30 pm. It frustrated voters in waiting. This was the place I voted several times before. Nothing has ever changed this small room over the years. The most simple and direct answer to this situation is that Texas state government doesn't want to improve the place in order to increase the voter turnout rate.

I just bought a Patagonia vest yesterday. I could have bought another brand, but Patagonia has be active in protecting our National Parks and Monuments since the election of Trump. Now I guess I'll be off to buy some more Patagonia gear. Maybe I'll take Lyft.

if election days are not designated as national holiday, there will be no hope of higher turnout. people have to go to work from nine to five, and the polls are closed at six. who is willing to vote?

What’s wrong with being partisan? If the shareholders don’t like it (assuming there are shareholders), they can take it up at the next shareholders’ meeting. If the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson can be partisan, so can Patagonia.

For this administration, any effort to promote democracy is seen as the enemy of the people. Republicans know that if we vote, they lose.

Why is there a conspiracy theory behind everything? Getting people out to vote, especially underrepresented groups, is a good thing for our country. Educating people in critical thinking would be even better. I hope that is the next push by these companies.