Registration issues are among the most common reasons people have for not voting. From not being registered to vote at all to being registered in the wrong district, these issues impede the process and present roadblocks that some potential voters don’t know how to circumvent. Help your employees eliminate this excuse by encouraging early registration and providing the opportunity to register to vote. This is not just for those who are not registered at all, but also an opportunity for those who are registered to make sure their information is accurate and that they are registered in the right place.

As part of its “Get Out The Vote” (GOTV) campaign, the American Rental Association (ARA), suggests that rental store owners and managers share the following information about voter registration with employees:

• Each state has its own rules about registration, but the deadline is usually 30 days before a given election and some states allow election-day registration. For state-specific rules, go to your state’s secretary of state website or go to eac.gov for a national mail voter registration form and more information.
• One benefit of early registration is that it allows time for processing and eliminating any errors that may occur. You also are able to participate in primaries and caucuses if you choose to affiliate your registration with a particular political party.
• You are not required to affiliate with a party in order to register. However, many states require affiliation in order to participate in primaries or caucuses.

Post early registration deadlines and registration regulations in places where your employees are likely to see them. If your store is located near a state border, make sure you post all dates relevant to your employees’ places of residence.

This also is a good time to start educating your employees on the priority issues affecting your business and the equipment rental industry as a whole. Choose two or three issues and explain to employees how they affect the company. Include information about tax issues and health care reform as part of your conversation, since these two issues will be at the center of ARA’s National Legislative Caucus in March. Look for briefs and talking points on these issues in ARA publications as caucus approaches. Also be sure to discuss any other legislative action or issues affecting the rental industry.

Knowing where candidates stand on these issues is the real key to making votes count for the rental industry. Refer to the positions of all candidates as well as the voting record of incumbents on these issues. These records can be found by clicking on “National, State and Local Representatives” in the Government Affairs section of ARArental.org. Consider publishing this information in company publications and newsletters for employees.

Alysia Ryan is director of state government affairs for the American Rental Association (ARA), Moline, Ill. She can be reached at 800-334-2177, ext. 271, or email alysia.ryan@ararental.org.