All-new effort provides voter information and tools to help register voters and secure commitments to vote
SAN FRANCISCO -- September 25, 2018 -- Today, in support of National Voter Registration Day on September 25, a group of small business platforms and organizations unite in an all-new effort to register and commit small business owners to vote in the November elections.
With an aim to ensure the voices of the millions of small business owners located throughout the U.S. are heard and amplified, Thumbtack and the Small Business Roundtable organizations are making it easy for small business owners to register to vote, distributing voter guides and sharing information about polling locations to their members and partners.
“Small business owners are the heart of our economy and country. Their voice is an important part of the governing and the electoral process,” said Rhett Buttle, Executive Director of the Small Business Roundtable. “This is why the Small Business Roundtable and our members are proud to support this effort to make sure as many small business owners as possible register and then vote come election day.”
“The decisions made by elected officials at every level have a huge impact on small businesses and entrepreneurs,” said Thumbtack co-founder and CEO Marco Zappacosta. “We want to make sure that every small business owner has the opportunity to participate in the election and make their voice heard, which is why we’re partnering with TurboVote to make registering to vote as easy as possible.”
A recent survey by Thumbtack shows that small business owners are engaged in the midterm elections and planning to participate. The survey found that 93 percent of small business owners say they are definitely or likely to vote in November, while only 88 percent of registered voters nationwide say the same, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The Small Business Roundtable, comprising the Small Business Entrepreneurship Council, National Association of Women Business Owners, National Association for the Self Employed, U.S. Black Chamber, National Small Business Association, and Asian / Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship, and Thumbtack initiatives and commitments are as follows:
- Small Business Roundtable
- The Small Business Roundtable is working to raise awareness around voter registration by disseminating information through its networks, contacts, and social media platforms.
- Thumbtack
- Thumbtack is committed to registering every eligible interested small business professional on their platform. Thumbtack is partnering with TurboVote to provide simple and quick voter registration tools to hundreds of thousands of small business professionals in all 50 states.
- National Small Business Association (NSBA)
- NSBA is educating its small business members on the importance of voting, as well as providing data on how small business owners engage in our political process.
- NSBA President and CEO Todd McCracken says, “The small business voice is an important force in American politics. To ensure this voice is heard and understood, small business owners must register and vote this November.”
- National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO)
- NAWBO is committed to encouraging women business owners to register and vote in this year’s election; capturing their stories of what issues are motivating women business owners to vote this November; and running a contest, challenging their chapters to get as many of their members to vote as possible.
- ○ NAWBO National Board Chair Molly Gimmel says, “The right to vote is a privileged part of the American experience. Small business owners must ensure their voices are heard by registering and voting this November.”
- ● National Association for the Self Employed (NASE)
- NASE is committed to communicating at 2X with its 250,000 members between now and the election and including information in their October self-informed digital magazine.
- National Association for the Self Employed President and CEO Keith Hall says, “Small business owners know the impact one person can have. Which is why small business owners should go out and vote this November, because every vote counts.”
- ● Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
- Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) is committed to providing its members with key resources and links to voter registration information and deadlines, voting locations along with regular reminders on SBE Council’s website and its Small Business Insider weekly enews. The group will have an Election 2018 resource page and utilize social media, blog posts and podcasts to remind entrepreneurs and small business owners about their special right and their civic responsibility.
- SBE Council President Karen Kerrigan says, “From accessing capital to the cost of health coverage, significant issues are continually being debated and acted upon that impact the growth of small businesses and the environment for entrepreneurship. Every small business owner needs to register to vote and make their voice count on election day.”
- US Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (USBC)
- USBC is committed to work with its 130+ chambers across the nation to ensure its 300,000 members know about the importance of voting this November and respond accordingly.
- USBC President and CEO Ron Busby says, “The small business community is one the most respected institutions in American democracy, it is important for black business owners to be a model for their fellow Americans and register and vote this November.”
- National Asian American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
- National ACE is committed to raise awareness and promote engagement with its nationwide network around this effort, and the importance of voter registration generally.
- National ACE President and CEO Chiling Tong says, “Small businesses and their owners need to register and vote this coming November because a voice unspoken is a voice unheard.”
The Small Business Roundtable (SBR) is a coalition of leading small business and entrepreneurship organizations, dedicated to advancing policy, securing access, and promoting inclusion to benefit the businesses at the heart of the American economy. For more information, please visit: www.smallbusinessroundtable.org.
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Contact: Marideth Post, press@thumbtack.com
