Exercising your right to vote can be inconvenient for many and even a burden for others — even without a pandemic. Going to the polls on Election Day, which falls on a regular workday, is especially challenging for Americans juggling multiple jobs, parents who take their children to school, and caretakers who are responsible for their loved ones.
To help ease the burden, Oprah Winfrey has announced that the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) is providing a full paid day off for national and presidential election days, starting with the presidential election on November 3.
“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,” wrote the media mogul on Instagram.
Winfrey also called on other companies to mark Election Day as a paid holiday to make it easier for workers to cast their votes.
“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.”
Many other corporations, including Coca-Cola, JP Morgan Chase, Nike, and Twitter, are also giving employees time off on Election Day, according to Bloomberg News.
Earlier this month, OWN launched OWN Your Vote, an initiative that aims to drive voter turnout among OWN viewers.
“We are proud to announce this important bipartisan social initiative that supports and empowers Black women to use their voice to face the issues in America they find paramount this election season,” said Tina Perry, president of OWN, in a statement. “When she votes, she influences elections, and it has never been more critical to use OWN’s wide-reaching platform to ensure our core audience has the tools needed to register and cast an informed vote this fall.”