The 1996 presidential election was the first I was old enough to vote in—and it was an absentee ballot at that. I had recently begun my freshman year at the University of Missouri, and I was excited to partake in what I still believe is an important civic duty. I vote in all local, county and state elections and have tried to stress the importance of voting to my children (the oldest of whom is about 2½ years away from eligibility).
But not everyone has a crazy mama at home telling them why they shouldn’t take this right for granted, and not everyone paid attention during the civics portion of their U.S. history classes. But many adults of voting age have jobs, and it is important employers encourage employees to register to vote and cast a ballot. Incidentally, many states require employers to provide employees time off to vote.
But before anyone votes, they should become educated about the issues. There are many factors at stake in the upcoming election that could affect you and your employees professionally and personally. In “The decision of the year”, NRCA Vice President of Government Relations Duane Musser provides a fair, nonpartisan assessment of the most pressing election issues that will affect the roofing industry.
In addition, CNN and NBC News have handy online voter resources that detail voter registration deadlines and procedures. You also can find voter resources on your state’s government website. Elections are important and affect many aspects of our lives. Helping employees better understand this and supporting their involvement in the political process results in more engaged citizens, which is good for us all.
As Abraham Lincoln said: “Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.”
AMBIKA PUNIANI REID is editor of Professional Roofing and NRCA’s vice president of communications.
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