How U.S. Business Leaders Are Making Their Voices Heard Ahead of the Election

With the United States election mere days away, we spoke with advocates and business leaders to learn more about what they've done to prepare and what's next for them. From endorsing a candidate and taking a public stance on key issues to finding non-partisan ways to promote free and fair elections, it's not too late to be inspired by how leaders are finding their voice in this historic moment. 

Arizona business leaders take a stand for immigrant communities

Along with a heated presidential contest and key legislative elections, voters in 41 U.S. states will decide on more than 150 ballot measures, which allow the electorate to directly determine if proposed laws or policies will go forward. Many of these ballot measures, also known as referendums, are major flashpoints for debate in communities across the country. 

In Arizona, where candidates up and down the ticket have made immigration reform a central topic of discussion, Proposition 314 puts the issue directly to voters. If passed, the proposition would make it a state crime for non-citizens to enter Arizona from another country — outside of using official ports of entry — and allow state and local police to arrest undocumented people for entering illegally. 

Local First Arizona, a nonprofit coalition of privately-owned businesses, is among the groups opposing the measure. Founder and CEO Kimber Lanning, who also owns a music store in Phoenix, debated Republican state Sen. John Kavanagh on the proposition this summer on Arizona's PBS affiliate station.

"We step into conversations about immigration, and we have taken an active stance," Lanning told TriplePundit. "In this particular bill, it's an unfunded mandate. So, not only do we talk about the fact that local law enforcement does not have any budget to cover it, we also bring local law enforcement into the conversation." 

The Republican-backed proposition appears on the ballot as GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump has pledged to use wartime powers to deport millions of undocumented people if he is elected. Along with engaging local law enforcement around the issue, Local First Arizona looks to raise awareness among business leaders about the economic impacts of criminalizing immigrant communities. 

"If we were to undergo the largest mass deportation in the history of the country ... it would be the most devastating to not just the U.S. economy, but specifically to the Arizona economy," Lanning said. "If we were to do something like that, the economy would tank — and that directly relates to businesses of all kinds." 

Immigrants make up over 16 percent of Arizona’s labor force and account for more than a fifth of the state’s entrepreneurs, according to the American Immigration Council. The last time Arizona enacted strict anti-immigrant legislation, the state's GPD declined by 2 percent a year from 2008 to 2015, according to a Moody’s Analytics study for The Wall Street Journal. 

Leveraging credible research like this is core to how Local First Arizona drives the conversation around immigration and other key issues. "The way we approach it, whether it be with other business owners or elected officials, is to really just take a common-sense approach," she said. "We cite facts and statistics. If somebody comes at us and talks about an 'invasion at the border,' we bring it back down to what's actually happening at the border, and we have statistics to back that up. It's about changing the picture so that people can understand what the actual facts are and keeping them away from the drama-infused exaggeration that plays on people's fears." 

Business leaders across the country are among the leading voices opposing state-based immigration restrictions and the suggestion of mass deportations at the federal level. New American Economy, a research and advocacy organization whose board includes business leaders from both sides of the political aisle — including billionaires Michael Bloomberg and Rupert Murdoch — convened public- and private-sector coalitions to oppose strict immigration crackdowns ahead of the election. And lobbying by business coalitions such as Local First Arizona is a major reason states have failed to enact more screens on job-seekers based on immigration status. 

"[For people] to go out and vote against something, they have to understand the facts," Lanning said. "They have to be able to hear from both sides — that's important. Anything we do at Local First Arizona, we do not try to silence the other side. We simply bring facts forward, allow people to present their best case and allow viewers to make their own decisions."

As people look to their employers for answers, business leaders across the U.S. are challenged to plan for what's ahead 

People are more likely to trust their own employers than any other institution, including government, NGOs and the broader business community. Scenario planning allows leaders to understand the policy proposals being put forward in the upcoming election and how they could impact their businesses, employees and other stakeholders. BSR, a membership organization of more than 300 companies, convened monthly Election Roundtables over the course of this year where leaders discussed potential election outcomes and how to respond. 

"People will look to companies and employers, no matter the outcome, to help steady the ship. Whether companies are seeking that role or not, they need to be prepared," said Jen Stark, co-director of the Center for Business and Social Justice at BSR. "There's a real need for companies to think about the tangible implications — not just the existential threat, if you will, or the idea of business and democracy — but what this really means across their value chain, to their workers, and to the communities in which they live and work." 

BSR members outlined how the outcome of the presidential race in particular could impact issues such as climate policy, access to reproductive and LGBTQ-inclusive healthcare, corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, and responsible investing. As around two-thirds of U.S. voters say they're worried about political violence on Election Day and in the months after, business groups including BSR and the pro-democracy coalition Leadership Now Project are also working with leaders to plan for what they'll do after Nov. 5. 

"Post-election, there is a real risk that it takes time to finalize the results. Results could be contested in the courts. There is a risk of violence," said Daniella Ballou-Aares, founder and CEO of the Leadership Now Project. "We need Americans to know that there might be some time between the election and when we get a final result. But there's also a need for a united front from civil society, from business, and from elected officials that violence and threats are unacceptable in that process between election and inauguration — and that they will stand up against those if they happen." 

Business leaders associated with the Leadership Now Project issued a statement earlier this year calling on candidates for federal office to commit to accepting the election results, with signatories including LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, SurveyMonkey CEO Eric Johnson and former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. "We are working on making sure that leaders come out with a proactive stand before the election saying we expect the election to be respected by both parties," Ballou-Aares said. "Unfortunately the former president [Donald Trump] has not agreed to that pledge, but we're going to keep pushing." 

State-based business coalitions, including groups in key swing states like Arizona and Wisconsin, also said they will not support presidential or congressional candidates who refuse to commit to certifying the election. "As a bipartisan group of business leaders, we try to communicate to the larger business community in Milwaukee how important democracy and the rule of law are for an environment that has the predictability that any business needs to thrive," Tom Florsheim, Jr., chairman and CEO of the Milwaukee-based footwear company Weyco Group and member of Wisconsin Business Leaders For Democracy, told TriplePundit in an email. 

Although it is a bipartisan group, the Leadership Now Project moved to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris last month, citing Trump's failure to recognize the results of the 2020 election as a key reason why. "Our entire system depends on trust in our electoral system, peaceful transfer of power and willingness to respect the results of elections," Ballou-Aares said. "We're seeing what happens when that doesn't work in Venezuela right now. That is an extreme example, but the undermining of elections is extremely dangerous as a precedent." 

It's not too late for business leaders to act ahead of Election Day

Even with mere days left until the election, it's not too late for business leaders to get involved, and the leaders we spoke with offered plenty of ideas on where to start. 

Share critical voting information. It may sound basic, but reminding people about the date of Election Day and how to find their local polling place can significantly impact voter participation. Around 100,000 polling places have closed since the 2022 midterms, so your employees and customers could be understandably confused about where they're supposed to vote. Whether it's an email to employees, a sign on a storefront or a post to social media, using your platform to share critical election information gives your stakeholders the tools they need to make their voices heard. "Make sure people are informed about when they can vote, where they can vote and why it's important to vote," Ballou-Aares said. 

Make sure your employees have a voting plan. Along with confusion about when and where to vote, not having transportation to the polls remains a key barrier to voter participation. Ask your employees if they have a plan to cast their ballots and if they need support. "I know of several businesses that are asking if their employees need transportation," said Lanning of Local First Arizona. Beyond the business, calling or texting friends and family to help them make a voting plan — what journalist Michael Thomas called "relational organizing" in his climate-focused Distilled newsletter — is a simple but effective way to get involved. 

Give employees time off to vote and volunteer. "Only a handful of states require employers to provide paid time off to vote," said Stark of BSR. "We certainly encourage employers, even if it's not required in their state, to offer paid time off opportunities." Over recent years, thousands of major companies pledged to give their employees paid time off to cast their ballots as part of business coalitions like the Civic Alliance and Time to Vote. Employers may also consider giving their employees the full day off to volunteer as poll workers or drive people who don't have transportation to their local polling place, Stark said.