Cleveland VOTES wants Northeast Ohioans to get time off to vote in the 2024 election

By Greory Burnett
Published October 28, 2024
Read the full article at The Land

Cleveland VOTES has held numerous events this year to get people registered for the 2024 election. Now, they’re trying to ensure Clevelanders have time off to cast a ballot. [Photo courtesy of Erika Anthony]
Cleveland VOTES has held numerous events this year to get people registered for the 2024 election. Now, they’re trying to ensure Clevelanders have time off to cast a ballot. [Photo courtesy of Erika Anthony]

Donté Gibbs believes there’s a lot at stake in this year’s presidential election. That is why he, along with his colleagues at Cleveland VOTES, has initiated various ways for potential voters to register and go to the polls on Nov. 5.

Gibbs is on the advisory board at Cleveland VOTES, a nonpartisan organization focused on increasing participation in our democracy.

“People must know where they need to go to vote; it’s a way to engage and participate in democracy,” Gibbs says.  “The goal of Cleveland VOTESis to mobilize as many people as possible by helping those who need rides to their voting place or to assist in getting them time off from their jobs.”

Information about your polling place and current registration status, can be found at vote411.org or by visiting the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections site.

A challenge for Cleveland VOTES this year is to convince businesses to offer time off for employees to vote. The organization suggests that employers either give the day off, offer a half-day, or give employees a couple of hours to visit their polling place.

A story on Signal Cleveland’s website states that likely voters claim scheduling has kept them from casting votes. The Census survey found that 26.5% of registered nonvoters listed “too busy/conflicting schedule” as their reason for not voting in the 2022 midterms.

Erika Anthony, executive director for Cleveland VOTES, is flanked by (R) Ahlon Gonzalez, cultural strategist consultant and (L) Jerry Pena, Sr. Community + Cultural Engagement Strategist. [Photo courtesy of Erika Anthony]
Erika Anthony, executive director for Cleveland VOTES, is flanked by (R) Ahlon Gonzalez, cultural strategist consultant and (L) Jerry Pena, Sr. Community + Cultural Engagement Strategist. [Photo courtesy of Erika Anthony]

Time off for voting

The Children’s Museum of Cleveland was a step ahead.

“We had decided to offer that time off ourselves,” said Hattie Kotz, director of marketing and development for the Children’s Museum. “When I saw that the museum was tracking the folks offering their employees time off, I responded that we had already decided to do it. So, voting is super important, especially in this election with Issue 55. It supports arts and cultures in Cuyahoga County. We don’t tell our staff how to vote, but we remove obstacles so they can vote. We will close at 1:30 p.m. Do a quick cleanup of the museum and leave by 2 p.m.”

According to Kotz, the county is among the most significant arts and culture community supporters.

CAC website states the organization was created over 15 years ago by residents of Cuyahoga County who voted for a dedicated tax to support the arts and culture community through the sale of cigarettes.

Issue 55 will replace the current tax of 1 ½ cents per cigarette sold in the county with a tax of 3 ½ cents per cigarette. This would generate around $160 million over the next 10 years, which will increase levels of support after years of decline relating to the decrease in cigarette sales, according to the CAC website.

Organizing a drive to get companies to allow their staff time off to vote has been around for a while. Back in 2020, Gibbs was working for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The management created a campaign to boost voter engagement, which included giving time off to vote. “This year,” Gibbs brought that idea to Erica Anthony, Cleveland VOTES executive director. So far, over 20 organizations have committed to at least giving people a couple of hours to vote. (A full list of participating organizations is at the bottom of this article.)

“Cleveland VOTES is excited to see so many local companies and institutions commit to giving their employees time off on Election Day,” Anthony said. “There are many barriers to the polls, and this is one great example of how local companies may contribute to fostering a more equitable democracy.”

On Oct. 7, Cleveland City Council voted to allow some full-time city workers 4 hours of paid time off on Nov. 5. According to a letter on the council’s website from Matthew J. Cole, director of Human Resources for Cleveland, addressed to Blaine Griffin, city council president, this 4-hour holiday will be held on each first Tuesday in November.

Cleveland VOTES is continuing its mission. The “Pull Up to Polls” rally will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 2 at the Agora Theater and Ballroom, 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. The event includes free roundtrip rides to the Board of Elections and food and drinks.

Gibbs says the most important thing Cleveland VOTES is doing is encouraging civic engagement.

“It’s easy for some to forget if their voter registration is current,” he said. “Once confirmed, do you know where your polling place is? Do you understand the issues on the ballot enough to make an informed decision? So, with so much learning, we shouldn’t have to worry about losing our jobs or not having enough time to make it to the polls.”

Cleveland VOTES is continuing its mission. The “Pull Up to Polls” rally will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on November 2 at the Agora Theater and Ballroom, 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. The event includes free roundtrip rides to the Board of Elections and food and drinks. Tickets at bit.ly/VOTEPULLUP.

Here is the most current list of employers who have pledged to giving time off:

  • Cleveland VOTES
  • Plexus LGBT & Allied Chamber of Commerce
  • ThirdSpace Action Lab
  • Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless
  • Neighborhood Leadership Institute
  • Let’s Make a Change
  • Cleveland Leadership Center
  • Ohio Environmental Council
  • Smart Development
  • Young Latino Network
  • Cleveland Branch NAACP
  • Towards Employment
  • MidTown Cleveland
  • Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park
  • Cleveland Owns
  • Fellows & Associates, LLC
  • Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation
  • OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership
  • Tremont West Development Corp.
  • Karamu House
  • UMDC
  • MyCom Cleveland
  • RISE Together Innovation Institute
  • The Children’s Museum of Cleveland
  • City of Cleveland
  • South Euclid United Church of Christ
  • Greater Cleveland Partnership

For more information about this organization, go to: https://www.clevotes.com/