Your State's Members-Only Ballot On Small Business Issues

Date: December 16, 2020

As a small business owner, NFIB depends on you to vote for your positions on the laws, rules, and proposals that will impact small businesses in your state. NFIB’s One Member, One Vote approach to representing its members requires small business owners to vote several ballots each year, telling us where they stand on key issues, both state and federal.

“One Member, One Vote drives the many ways our State Directors and teams serve America’s small business owners in all 50 state capitols,” said NFIB’s Executive Director of State Government Relations Tim Goodrich. “We’re grateful for NFIB members’ engagement with each ballot – it enables NFIB to best serve as the voice of small business across the nation.”

Members in many states have already received invitations to vote on their state-specific issues ballots, and members in the remaining states will receive their ballot invitations by mid-January.

Each state’s ballot includes a selection of major issues that matter to Main Street – such as liability protections from unmerited pandemic-related lawsuits, tax-deductibility of forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loan expenses, Unemployment Insurance taxes, and more. A ballot-response-driven mandate from NFIB members on each issue, will drive NFIB’s state legislative and regulatory priorities throughout the new year, and help NFIB hold lawmakers accountable for the interests of small businesses.

This ballot is only available to NFIB members.

One Member, One Vote Program Gives Greater Voice To Main Street

NFIB’s member ballot system has been a constant and foundational element of our work for more than 75 years. Every member gets one vote on the issues. No exceptions. This highly democratic system has served small businesses well. Approximately 300,000 owners vote four ballots each year on the state and federal policy positions NFIB should take.

On each issue, small business owners can vote “yes” or “no” to indicate whether they support or oppose it. As positions on each issue gain significant majority support, NFIB’s State Government Relations team will take that message to your governor and state lawmakers. NFIB’s Government Relations team is singularly focused on advancing small business interests in all 50 state capitols.

Whether it’s existing laws and regulations that need changing, or legislation that impacts small business, NFIB has a proven track record of getting results. For example, last year Illinois members had the opportunity to vote on a progressive tax proposal that the NFIB Illinois-team had been following. Eighty-five percent of the state’s NFIB members opposed the provision, and with that mandate, NFIB lobbied and led a grassroots movement against it – ultimately defeating it for major a win on behalf of small businesses.

Each ballot’s results also enable NFIB to track how legislators vote, establishing Key Vote alerts on the relevant issues, and tracking when legislators vote with small business. Many states publish voting records, you can find them here: Voting Records By State. Legislators who vote with small business on key issues 70 percent or more of the time are eligible to earn NFIB’s Guardian of Small Business Award.

NFIB members can cast their votes by logging in to their account on the NFIB Engage App or at NFIB.com/votemyballot. If your state’s ballot is not yet available, keep an eye out for a postcard and email invitation in the next few weeks.

And don’t forget your federal issues ballot – Federal Ballot #577 is available now and the deadline is approaching quickly. Please log in on the NFIB Engage smartphone app or at NFIB.com/votemyballot before Dec. 31.

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