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The business community has a growing recognition that a well-functioning democracy is essential to a stable society and robust economy. Business is one of the few institutions with the leadership and influence to address these issues and protect democracy against increasing threats, but this potential has yet to be fully realized.
That’s where Business for America comes in. Our goals are to:
Getting out the vote and making public statements are important, but that’s not enough. At Business for America, we mobilize companies to boost civic engagement, advocate for federal and state policies that strengthen our democratic republic, ensure election integrity, and overcome political divides.
Below you will find our most notable initiatives dating back to 2019, with links to learn more.
The law governing the counting of electoral votes — the Electoral Count Act of 1887 (ECA) — was ambiguous and antiquated, introducing uncertainty to the process of counting electoral votes and putting our political and economic stability at risk. These ambiguities contributed to escalating attempts by both parties to challenge the results of presidential elections over the last 20+ years, culminating in the unsettling events of January 6. As a result, many Republican and Democratic members of Congress and election experts called for the law to be updated on a bipartisan basis, conferring no advantage to either political party.
BFA worked with our member companies and broader network to promote awareness of these issues, to sign a letter to Congress in support of the Electoral Count Reform Act (ECRA), and to visit congressional offices to advocate directly for passage of the bill. The ECRA was passed as part of the 2023 omnibus spending package.
Read more about BFA's work on the ECRA ›
At Business for America, we believe that the business community has a bottom-line economic interest in protecting the democratic institutions upon which our republic relies — including fair, safe, and secure elections.
For the 2022 midterm elections, we worked with our member companies and broader network to promote awareness of business tools and national events that promote civic engagement, including getting voters registered, recruiting poll workers, and promoting voter education.
Second, we published and distributed an open letter from the business community expressing our expectations that every candidate and election official encourage a peaceful, orderly, and safe election process.
Read the open letter to 2022 candidates ›
In 2021, BFA was a leading organizer of Business for Voting Rights, recruiting the majority of 250+ companies supporting passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to amend the 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA). The initiative was the largest policy advocacy effort by business in support of voting rights. BFA also collaboratively organized Senate lobbying efforts both on Capitol Hill and in-district. Senator Maria Cantwell featured the sign-on letter in her floor speech in support of the bill.
For decades, the VRA prevented the adoption of rules that made it harder to vote in states with histories of voting discrimination. Between 1970 and 2006, the VRA was reauthorized four times by overwhelming bipartisan majorities in the U.S. Congress, and every time the VRA was reauthorized it was signed into law by a Republican president. BFA continues to work toward building bipartisan consensus to renew the VRA and ensure every voter has a voice.
Visit the Business for Voting Rights website ›
American business leaders recognize how deepening divisions in the U.S. threaten our future — and are asking what they can do about it. In partnership with the Niskanen Center, a right-of-center think tank, we organized a four-part webinar series focusing on the risks polarization poses to our economy and society, along with actions businesses can take to help bridge divides in their workplaces and communities where they operate.
2020
In 2020, election officials across the country found themselves under-resourced for running an election safely during the COVID-19 pandemic and in need of support. In response, BFA launched Operation Vote Safe, a project mobilizing companies to contribute volunteers, facilities, supplies, and other resources to help keep election workers and voters safe during COVID-19.
BFA partnered with six secretaries of state in need of PPE and other supplies for poll workers, as well as eight Native American tribal organizations and dozens of local GOTV groups. Together, more than 50 businesses provided over $2 million in donated goods and services to election officials and get-out-the-vote organizations in 24 states and the District of Columbia.
Learn more about Operation Vote Safe ›
In the summer of 2020, BFA organized 270 businesses to sign a letter urging Congress to provide funding to states for election safety measures due to COVID-19, breaking new ground in business advocacy for election-related federal policy.
BFA organized its business colleagues to participate in virtual meetings with Senate offices, including Senator Marco Rubio and Senator Roy Blunt, chair of the Rules Committee, to discuss election security and funding issues. Senator Amy Klobuchar entered the letter into the official proceedings of the Senate Rules Committee hearing.
Visit the VoteSafe 2020 page ›
In 2019, BFA organized a business letter to Congress to demonstrate that election security is an urgent national priority for the business community and urge passage of the Secure Elections Act (S.2593). This bipartisan Senate bill laid out commonsense, urgently-needed actions to protect our elections from tampering and cyberattacks. We met with Senator James Lankford and Senator Kamala Harris’ staff.
