Companies Nationwide Step Up To Support Poll Workers & Ballot Counters Through Frontline Impact Project

NEW YORK, Oct. 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This election season, tens of thousands of poll workers and ballot counters will receive unprecedented support as they carry out their civic duties amid a pandemic, staff shortages and high voter turnout. Frontline Impact Project, a social impact platform started by The KIND Foundation, in coordination with local election boards, is spearheading the donation of more than 120,000 items from purpose-driven brands to election workers on the frontlines of democracy. 

11 companies, including KIND; Justin's; Kate Farms; Purely Elizabeth; Hint Water; La Colombe; Just The Cheese; Neuro Gum; Ferrara; Sodexo; and CLEAN Cause, will deliver donations to poll workers and ballot counters in counties across Colorado, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio, California, Georgia, Texas and Michigan. Non-partisan groups that promote voter turnout and education – including More Than A Vote, a voting rights nonprofit led by Lebron James and a coalition of Black athletes and artists; the Election Super Center Project, an initiative of the National Vote At Home Institute; Civic Alliance, a non-partisan coalition of more than 850 businesses supporting civic engagement; and Operation Vote Safe, an arm of Business for America – are helping scale the effort.   

"Since inception, Frontline Impact Project has been about companies coming together to show appreciation for frontline workers. Now, thanks to many generous partners, we are extending support to the selfless citizens who make our democracy work for everyone," says Daniel Lubetzky, Founder of Frontline Impact Project and KIND. "Their commitment gives me confidence in our democratic system and is a display of the shared values that make our country exceptional."

While the private sector has fed voters waiting in long lines before, it has not typically supported the individuals who make our electoral system function so effectively – many of whom will work up to 16 hours per day to ensure the polls are staffed and every ballot is counted. Due to the pandemic, a new generation has stepped up and been trained to ensure every American can have their voice heard. In Milwaukee, for instance, 75% of local poll workers are working their first election¹ and in Denver 85% of election judges are new.² This year, many of these workers will be tasked with additional responsibilities, including sanitizing and monitoring social distancing.  

Claire Woodall-Vogg, who is overseeing the election in Milwaukee, Wisconsin's most populous city, says, "Our poll workers are making a tremendous sacrifice in order to ensure that voters have access to safe and secure elections. They are truly frontline workers who are maximizing access to democracy despite the pandemic."

The outpouring of support comes after groups like More Than A Vote have spent months addressing a significant shortage of poll workers. More Than A Vote's Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Michael Tyler, says, "We worked hard to recruit poll workers so that cities do not suffer from long lines and closed precincts. By partnering with Frontline Impact Project, we're able to say thank you to citizens who stepped up to ensure voters have the fuel they need to make our democracy work."  

To learn more about Frontline Impact Project, visit www.frontlineimpact.org.

SOURCE The KIND Foundation