11/06/2006
Make a difference before Nov. 7
On Election Day, Nov. 7, small-business owners across the nation will go to the polls and will be faced with a critical decision: Vote for candidates who will continue to promote an agenda that will keep our businesses open and our economy strong, or vote for candidates who will take the small-business community down a road of burdensome regulations, taxes and mandates.
Now more than ever, it's time for small-business owners to stand up for candidates who will stand up for them, and make the voice of small business heard. The outcome of this election will be determined by hard-working Americans like you, your employees and customers, as well as your family and friends. It is important that you vote, and that you tell everyone you know about the importance of voting this election. If small-business supporters stay home Nov. 7, the pro-business agenda in Congress will be stalled.
To help you prepare for the election, NFIB is suggesting 15 steps you can take to get involved and help ensure that small business has a voice in Congress and the state capitols nationwide after Election Day.
15: Check important dates and deadlines in your state, like voter registration and early or absentee voting. Go to NFIB.com/politics and select "2006 Election Information" to learn more. Remind your employees, family and friends to register to vote and vote early or absentee if they can't make it to the polls on Election Day. Posting a reminder at work or sending out an e-mail can be effective ways to remind people.
14: Download NFIB's Get-out-the-Vote poster and post it at work to remind your employees and customers of the importance of this year's election. The poster can be downloaded at NFIB.com/politics or you can request a full-size color poster by e-mailing political@nfib.org.
13: Sign up for NFIB e-mail updates to learn more about special events and political opportunities in your area, and get regular updates on issues affecting your business. Sign up at NFIB.com/politics.
12: Read NFIB's "Educating Your Employees" brochure and issue guides to help you communicate with your employees about the important legislative issues that affect your business and how this year's election will have an impact on those issues. You can download the materials at NFIB.com/politics, or you can request hard copies by sending an e-mail to political@nfib.org. Then take one or several of these ideas, such as establishing a forum to communicate with your employees, and try them out at your business.
11: Learn more about your state candidates and ballot measures by going to NFIB.com/politics and selecting your state's political page. There you can learn about which state candidates NFIB endorses and what position NFIB takes on important ballot measures in your state. You can also find out about political events in your area by checking the events calendar.
10: Find key-races in your state and discover what you can do to help the pro-small-business candidate. At NFIB.com/politics, utilize NFIB's exclusive 2006 Election Monitor to find the latest developments in the campaigns impacting your business. Learn who's on the ballot, get up-to-date election news, check incumbents' small-business voting records and more.
9: Find your representative's voting record and tell people about it. Using How Congress Voted or NFIB's exclusive 2006 Election Monitor at NFIB.com/politics, you can find out how federal representatives voted on key business issues. If your representative has a good record, tell your employees, customers, friends and family. And if he or she has a bad record on business issues, tell them that too!
8: Write a letter to the editor. You can have a large impact on local public opinion by writing a letter to the editor. As a small-business owner, you have an important perspective that other voters may find useful when deciding who to vote for. You can find some helpful tips on a writing a good letter in NFIB's Grassroots Manual.
7: Put a campaign yard sign on your property. Call the campaign office of a local candidate you support and ask them for a yard sign you can post on your property. A sign in your yard or business window can help raise a candidate's name recognition.
6: Attend a political rally. Contact a local campaign to see if and when they are having an event near you. When people see that a local business leader supports a certain candidate, it can make a difference. Show your support and learn more about how you can help by going to an event or rally.
5: Include payroll stuffer in your employees' paychecks to remind them of the importance of voting in this election and what's at stake for your business.
4: Call a local talk-radio show. You can often make a big impact by voicing your opinion on a local talk-radio show. Many people listen to such shows for political information, and a well-reasoned opinion or voice of support from a local business owner can make a big difference in how people vote.
3: Participate in a precinct walk. There is virtually no better way to help a campaign than to talk to others in-person about why you support a certain candidate. A couple of hours spent walking precincts on a weekend can be one of the most effective uses of your time. And if you don't feel like talking or can't walk during normal hours, a literature drop can be done early in the morning or late at night and can also be a very meaningful form of voter contact.
2: Participate in a phone bank for a campaign. The next best thing to a precinct walk is a phone bank. When voters pick up the phone and hear a voice or name they recognize, it has a lot greater impact. Often, campaigns will give you a list of people to call and you can do it from home or work, whenever or wherever is convenient for you.
1: Call your friends, employees and family to make sure they have voted or have a ride to vote on Election Day. Too many people fail to vote because they forget, don't have time or don't have transportation to their polling place. Many campaigns use volunteers to give rides to the polls. If you have the time to volunteer, contact your local campaign office to see if they need additional drivers. You can make a big difference by reminding people to vote or mail in their absentee or early ballots, or by offering them a ride. Also, by giving your employees an hour off work to vote, you can make sure that your employee education efforts don't go to waste. Any way you can help get another voter to the polls can help ensure that small business still has a strong voice Nov. 8.
