Add as a preferred source on GoogleJeff Raikes Says Rule Uncertainty Poses Greater Business Risk Than Midterm Results
He urged employers to ease voting and poll-worker service and support lawful vote certification; a survey found 32% of local election officials had faced threats, harassment or abuse.
Jeff Raikes urged employers to make voting and poll-worker service easier, arguing that unpredictable or unevenly enforced rules create a greater business-planning risk than either party winning the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Raikes, former president of Microsoft’s Business Division, former CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founder of the Raikes Foundation, published the commentary Friday at 8 a.m. ET (12:00 UTC). “Business can adapt to either party’s agenda. It struggles when it can’t tell which rules will hold,” he wrote.
He recommended that employers offer flexible schedules or paid time off for voting and give leave to employees serving as poll workers. He also urged companies to publicly support free and fair elections, lawful vote certification and acceptance of the results.
A survey of 834 local election officials, conducted from Jan. 27 to Feb. 26, found that 32% had experienced threats, harassment or abuse because of their jobs. Half were very or somewhat worried about political leaders interfering with their work, while 45% were concerned about politically motivated investigations.
The commentary also pointed to the Supreme Court’s Feb. 20 ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose tariffs. Voters will go to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3.