Georgia Corporation to Pay Employees to Vote in the 2018 Midterms

ATLANTA - Oct. 1, 2018 - PRLog -- Baumgartens, winner of the Georgia Family Business Award, announces that it will encourage its employees to vote in the upcoming midterm elections with a financial incentive. #VoteMidterms #GetOutandVote

"Voting is a right and privilege if our employees can afford to take the time to go and exercise that right," said David Baumgarten, vice president of the 4th generation family business. "In the last couple decades, we recognized that with gerrymandering, the significant number of recent poll closings, and an electoral college that doesn't represent the true populace of our current citizenry, there is an extra burden and a disincentive on Georgia citizens to get to the polls."

The company says that when they receive an email from any team member at their polling location and bring in their "I Voted" sticker, they will receive a $25 gift card to spend however they wish.

"Democracy isn't a given. It is critical that we participate and actively take care of democracy and have our representatives work for us. We, the people, are paying their bills," said Baumgarten. "While the Supreme Court temporarily disagrees, the constitution doesn't say, "we the corporations and super-elite. "The consequence of allowing corporate and super-PAC donations to have so much influence has gotten to the point of drowning out our voice. Let's not give up and be resigned to where we are today. Let's raise our voice. It is time to be heard."

Charged with illegally changing district boundaries, Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp was named in a lawsuit by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, claiming the new maps violate the Voting Rights Act. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution (https://politics.myajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/voting-precincts-closed-across-georgia-since-election-oversight-lifted/bBkHxptlim0Gp9pKu7dfrN/) shows that 214 precincts across the state have been closed since 2012. Thirty-nine of them with poverty rates higher than average and 30 of them with African-Americans making up 25 percent of the local population. A Harvard Magazine (https://harvardmagazine.com/2016/07/does-money-matter) article concludes, "Maybe democracy shouldn't reflect the views of the median voter, but few would agree that it should only reflect the views of the affluent. But unless and until the Supreme Court reverses itself, the current regime of lax campaign finance and ever-more-important super PACs will continue."

"No matter how you will vote, it is a critical time to vote, period. We challenge other corporations in Georgia and all over the nation to incent their employees to go out and vote," says Baumgarten.

About Baumgartens

Baumgartens is a family business in Atlanta, Georgia supplying school, home and office supplies nationwide.