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The Cutting Edge™ July 2004

Public Policy

Get Out the Vote By John Satagaj, WMMA® Legislative Counsel, email@jsatlaw.com

Have you considered educating your employees about the impact of various issues on your workplace and motivating them to vote? We know this is not a simple task, but anything we can do to help employees understand we are in this together can only help. Your tax responsibilities are a logical place to start, but also legal costs, environmental costs and health care costs are probably concerns you worry about every day, but that your employees may not connect to the success of the company and the future of their jobs. Any little bit you can do to educate them and to get them out to vote can help.

If you are ambitious, this is a good time to begin organizing a "get-out-the-vote" drive among your employees. In general, corporations are allowed, under federal law, to support or conduct federal voter registration and "get-out-the-vote" drives aimed at their employees under the following guidelines:

• The corporation may not make any communication expressly advocating the election or defeat of any candidate or candidates of a political party as part of the voter registration or "get-out-the-vote" drive.
• The voter registration efforts cannot be coordinated with any candidate or political party.
• The voter registration drive cannot be directed primarily to individuals previously registered with or intending to register with a particular party.
• The "get-out-the-vote" and voter registration services provided by the corporation must be made available without regard to the employees' political preferences.
• Employees conducting voter registration or "get-out-the-vote" drives must not be paid on the basis of the number of individuals registered to support one particular candidate or a political party.

The corporation must notify those receiving information or assistance in writing that these services are being made available without regard to voters' political preferences. There are several places on the Internet to get additional information.

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), of which WMMA® is a member, in conjunction with other national organizations, has launched a Make the Difference ... Vote! campaign. It is a program to help you get your employees involved inthe election process.

Send a letter to your employees encouraging them to vote. Send a letter to each employee's home and time it to arrive two or three days before Election Day. Below you will find a sample letter for your use.

Include vote reminders in payroll envelopes or distribute fliers during the last days of the campaign. Stamp your payroll envelopes with such messages as 'Vote!' or 'Your Vote Counts.'

Host candidates' forums at your company's plants. Invite candidates to your plant so employees can ask questions on the issues that concern them. If you host a forum, remember that under federal law you are required to invite opposing sides to participate.

Informed, involved citizenship should not be limited to the election year. Build civic interest throughout the year:

• Host a breakfast, lunch, or dinner, open to all employees, on 'How Government Works' or on legislative issues of interest to your staff. Invite government officials to speak and answer employees' questions.
• Conduct a tour of your plant for elected officials or candidates. Introduce candidates to your employees as you walk them through the facility.
• Display a monthly calendar of events in your area. Include notices of elections, school-board meetings, community forums, town-hall meetings and legislative hearings.
• Inform employees of their legislators voting record on key manufacturing issues.

Sample Letter to Company Employees

Dear :

It's been said that if you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself. When it comes to voting, nothing could be truer. If we want to make sure our elected leaders do as we expect them to do, it's up to each of us to go to the polls and exercise our civic responsibility.

That's why we at (name of company) are proud to be participating in the WMMA®/NAM's Make the Difference...Vote! campaign. We believe in the democratic process, and encourage our employees to vote in the upcoming election on November 2.

Voting is one of the most important rights and responsibilities we have as U.S. citizens. It is also our best chance to say how we want to be governed. I urge you to make your voice heard by voting on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004.

Sincerely,


Your Name
Title

P.S. [Insert here any information on special leave that your company plans to offer on Election Day, or information on rides to polling places offered by non-partisan, non-profit organizations.]

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