VOTE

BEE_VOTE_HERO

YOUR VOTE = YOUR VOICE


TL;DR: Bee Partners believes full voter participation is fundamental to our democracy. We’ve launched YOUR VOTE = YOUR VOICE to encourage voting. Please:

1. Register to vote
2. Vote
3. Protect fair access to voting, including giving your employees time off to vote.
4. Download our YOUR VOTE = YOUR VOICE badge and post it to your site, your social media & anywhere you want to show your support for fair access to voting.


See below for badge download info then scroll down for a full explainer on why this matters to us and a bunch of great resources on voting. Most of all: VOTE!

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  • Click here to download a Your vote = Your Voice! email signature file badge (.png)
  • Add to your email signature (best to link to hosted graphic vs email embed - ask your tech)
  • Link badge to https://www.beepartners.vc/vote for up-to-date curated voter information

Why does Bee Partners care about voting access?

Bee Partners believes everyone should have equal access to opportunity; what you make of that opportunity is up to you.

That belief is core to our business model and it also matters to us in the larger world. 

In venture, we get to see unique, singular, sometimes even seemingly tiny ideas turn into scalable business models that create fundamental change. So too can the kernel of an idea drive civic change—and its inflection point is when it’s called for a vote. Our work as early-stage VCs happens ahead of that inflection point for a company. The real work of civic change happens ahead of voting: making sure everyone who can vote is registered and making sure every voter has equal access to cast their vote. 

In a democratic system in which we each have the power to cast one vote, we each have equal opportunity to change our democracy in the ways we think best. The right to vote is a fundamental pillar of our cherished American way of life that affords us these opportunities. 

That’s the way things ought to work. 

Unfortunately, it’s clear that not every eligible voter in the United States votes (recent turnout for general elections is consistently under 60 percent). Sometimes people just don’t have the information they need about voting basics like where, when, and how to vote, or even why. There are also millions of eligible voters for whom voting has been made difficult. There are several reasons for this, including:

  • Policies, laws and procedures that make it difficult to register; 
  • Lack of sufficient time off from work to vote;
  • Limited polling places, restrictions on voting by mail, or burdensome identification requirements;
  • Restrictions on the right to vote based on past criminal conviction;
  • Deletion of legally registered voters from voter lists (purging);
  • Purposeful alterations of district boundaries to favor certain voting blocks over others (gerrymandering or redistricting);
  • Deliberate efforts to suppress voter turnout and foster voter apathy.

Making voting difficult leads to disillusionment, which leads to less of the civic involvement necessary for a participatory democracy. In 2016, the United States ranked 26th out of 32 developed countries in voter turnout. Ironically, many who don’t or can’t vote are those most affected by government programs in which they could have a voice. 

Any restriction on access to voting makes America less of a democracy, and that’s bad for all of us. The actual restrictive practices make it especially more difficult for people of color and people with disabilities to vote. We at Bee Partners do not want to live in an America in which this is the case.  

What do we mean by access to voting?

We would like to see an America in which:

  • Every person eligible to vote is registered and votes; 
  • It is equally easy for every registered voter to complete and submit a ballot;
  • Each ballot is counted;
  • Voting integrity at every level of government ensures a fair election. 

What is Bee Partners doing?

  • Raising awareness among our influential constituencies of investors, Founders, entrepreneurs and other world-changers;
  • Providing information on voting, on why voting matters and the struggles fought to protect voting;
  • Advocating to minimize frictions to voting;
  • Taking election days as holidays and supporting our portfolio companies in doing the same;
  • Donating to organizations that support voting access. 

What can YOU do?

  • Make sure you’re registered and that you vote;
  • Help register others;
  • Fight to make voting accessible for everyone;
  • Join our initiative! Email Michael now and we’ll send you a Your Vote = Your Voice badge to display on your site, in your email signature,
  • your social media, and anywhere else you want your network to know you support fair access to voting.

Register yourself and vote

  • Check here to see whether you’re registered in the state in which you reside.
  • Register to vote, or get info on how to register, here. Thirty-nine states allow you to register online. 
  • Register to vote by mail here. Will you be out of town on election day? Get an absentee ballot here.
  • Check out the elections calendar here.
  • As election day approaches, check here to find your polling place.
  • Remind everyone you know to vote. You can encourage voter turnout by writing letters to other voters.
  • Share this information with your community!

Help register others

Fight for Access
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died to protect our democracy and our right to vote. The most important thing you can do to protect that access is to vote yourself and to be an informed voter. You can also: 

  • Educate yourself on voting issues, including why voting and registering have become more difficult in recent years and unnecessary concerns about voting fraud. 
  • Advocate for a national holiday for general elections and, if you’re a Founder, make sure your employees have the day off to vote. 
  • Then donate or volunteer your time to organizations that protect voting access for everyone. 

Bee.

© Bee Partners 2023