By Brian Halligan, Co-Founder & CEO at HubSpot
We are fast approaching an important election in the U.S. In November, we will choose our next legislators and leaders in the midst of a global pandemic, in the wake of social unrest, and in the face of continued economic uncertainty. Most of us will vote in person, some of us will vote by mail, but too many of us will not vote at all.
At HubSpot, we want to do our part to make sure that every eligible voter is able to have their voice heard in the upcoming general and local elections. And we are encouraging you — our customers, partners, and fellow companies — to join us in helping to drive registration and increase participation in November.
The events of this year have challenged me and the HubSpot leadership team to take a more active role in the most pressing issues affecting our employees, customers, partners, and society at large. That means educating ourselves on the matters causing concern in our communities, speaking out against injustice, and using the influence we have to be agents of progress. Our employees demand it, our customers expect it, and our society deserves it.
Using our platform to actively encourage participation in the electoral process is, quite simply, the right thing to do.
Last month, I was pleased to pledge HubSpot’s support to A Day for Democracy — a non-partisan initiative calling on employers to help drive voter registration and give employees time off to vote. Over 180 companies have signed up at the time of writing, and I hope to see that number increase as we approach Election Day.
In line with that pledge, November 3 will be a company holiday for HubSpot’s U.S. employees. Staff will have the full day off so they can prioritize casting their vote and be available to support friends, colleagues, and family members in casting theirs. With childcare options threadbare due to the COVID-19 pandemic and many schools set to remain closed on Election Day, it will be particularly difficult for some parents to find time to vote. So, we’re encouraging our employees to use the extra time they have on November 3 to assist anyone in their community who has responsibilities that could interfere with their ability to get to a polling station. We’re asking the same of employees who, like me, will be voting by mail and might be in a position to volunteer on Election Day to help drive participation.
We’re also providing our employees with resources on the voting process, sending reminders of registration deadlines, and urging everyone to register to vote — and, where possible, register to vote by mail. We’re directing staff to sites like Headcount.org, RockTheVote.org, and Vote.org where they can register, check their voting status, find their polling station, and learn more about the voting process. We’ve also compiled a list of key dates in the five states where we have the largest employee populations, which we’re promoting internally. A complete state-by-state list of voter registration deadlines can be found here.
When Dharmesh and I founded HubSpot in 2006, one of our goals was to make online marketing accessible to everyone. And it now feels important to extend that principle of enabling participation beyond our role as a software company and apply it to our role as members of society. In a democracy, it is the responsibility of elected officials to deliver on their commitments. It is the right of citizens to determine who those elected officials are. And we feel it is a requirement of those with influence to dismantle any obstacles preventing citizens from participating in the purest expression of that democracy — voting in fair elections.
Today, I’m inviting everyone in the HubSpot community to join us in working to get out the vote in the upcoming elections. That could mean offering your staff flexible hours on Election Day, proactively highlighting voter registration deadlines, or simply sharing helpful resources with your audience. Heightened civic engagement can help to create a world that is more equitable and fair for all, and I look forward to partnering with you in the lead up to November and beyond.
Sincerely,
