On Election Day in the U.S., which this year falls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Patagonia will be shutting its headquarters, distribution hub and stores to give its employees time to vote. Similar action is being taken by Foot Locker, which is shutting down its U.S. stores on that day. The outdoor company took similar steps in the two previous U.S. national elections, in 2018 and 2016. This time, however, it will also be offering its employees an optional four days off to train and serve as poll workers. In addition, the company will be paying some of its staff to address letters or send text messages to inactive voters who are also environmentalists, as identified by the Environmental Voter Project; spreading information on policies and procedures in seven states identified by the Brookings Institution as having flawed mail-in voting systems; helping to expand the corporate rolls of the Time to Vote coalition, which encourages companies to give employees the day off on Election Day; recruiting poll workers through organizations such as Power the Polls, More Than a Vote and the Georgia Youth Poll Worker Project; providing access to a photocopier (to make copies of citizens’ IDs) and its Dallas and Austin stores; and funding grants, ads and local projects to get minorities to vote.

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