12 Comments from Voters on Election Day

How did I spend Election Day this year?

Well, I moved to D.C. in January, so this was my first time living in our nation’s capital during a presidential race. I wanted to do something special to participate in this historic occasion, so I volunteered at the polls and interviewed D.C. residents as they came out of the voting booth.

I asked voters about their thoughts on the needs of the U.S. workforce as workers continue to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. People from a diverse range of backgrounds and industries opened up to me about how the pandemic has affected them and what they hope our elected officials will do to support workers going forward.

Below are a few of the things D.C. voters shared with me about how workforce and economic issues influenced their vote:

1. “People increasingly want and value workforce diversity, sustainable business practices, and the safety and well-being of the workforce. These are not new concepts or trends, the pandemic has simply made them clearer.” —Emma, Government Relations worker, 24
2. “I would have liked to see a more robust stimulus plan that didn’t just give us $1200 one time. We need sustained investment in the workforce and small businesses, not giveaways to big corporations that are taking advantage of the Paycheck Protection Program. I would have liked additional protections, beefing up OSHA, hazard pay for frontline workers, and paid leave for people to take when they’re sick and taking care of their families. These are all things we should have been doing outside of the pandemic anyway that would have made our response much better.” —Tali, Non Profit worker, 27
3. “I think the government could give a little bit more help and assistance. A lot of people lost their job and lost their residences and had no resources to turn to, and the education wasn’t there. There aren’t even any programs I know of that I can refer someone to that will help them when they couldn’t get a stimulus check or needed help to pay the bills. I would say the government should give more education and resources so people know where to go when a crisis like this happens next time. I think a lot of things need to change as far as securing one’s financial stability.” —Emmett, MPDC Police Officer, 38
4. “I don’t think people are being treated fairly by the government. The cost of living is going up, so minimum wage needs to go up as well. A lot of people can’t afford the housing at this point. I can honestly say that I can’t. I have had my rent increased during the pandemic.”  — Ebony, Dental Office worker, 36 
5. “We’re supposed to be the most advanced and powerful country on the planet, so there’s no reason anyone should be suffering. Certain things shouldn’t have to be worried about, and medical care is one of those things. It causes a lot of stress, it’s one more thing people have to worry about. In some countries, when people are sick they’re given time off to heal so when they come back they can be 100 percent, but in this country they don’t do that. Giving people medical care is a simple fix.” —Rick, Truck Driver, 62
6. “With children being in virtual school, I think free internet access would really help a lot of kids because I think that can be expensive if it wasn’t already in your budget.” —Lonnie, Children’s Dance Teacher, 38
7. “I graduated in June. In the winter, the economy was booming and it was actually an employee market where there were too many jobs and not enough employees, so I was excited. Then COVID happened, and I was really sad because I applied to a job every single day and a lot of them I wouldn’t even hear back from. I was also really discouraged because I knew people who already had job offers that were either postponed or rescinded. Now, you’re not only competing with recent college graduates for work, you’re competing with the millions of people who lost their jobs.” —Katie, Congressional Intern, 22
8. “We should’ve helped the frontline workers first—the people who are helping people. Start with them, make sure they’re safe, and then get resources to everyone else.” —Valentino, Government Contractor, 35 
9. “I support small businesses and entrepreneurs, so I think giving people more resources would allow people to do what they actually want to do. It might be a slower process, but that’s how it should be if you want people to have the ability to invest in jobs that they enjoy and will further their skills. If smaller companies have the ability to hone their craft on their own, then it will boost small businesses. If we give small businesses the same platform and resources we give big businesses, then they can do the same things big businesses do on a more personalized level.” —Allison, Researcher and Consultant, 24 
10. “I had to go to a different state to work because I work in the restaurant business and there hasn’t been much good business right now. Another stimulus check would have helped and another round of unemployment as well, so I could’ve stayed here to find work and not had to go to a different state.” —Jairo, Restaurant Worker, 24
11. “I work on agriculture, energy, and environmental policy. More wind energy is coming, solar is getting bigger, but the original input cost is expensive. But if you have grants or a tax incentive, like solar panels already do, I think the market would open up and create more jobs in the renewable sector going forward. You need to give people a way to get into the market without taking on significant debt or loans because the cost to start up is so high.” —Emma, Senate Staffer, 25
12. “I would like to see childcare subsidies and not have the president threatening to fire us all the time.” —Amy, Federal Worker, 57 

These were just a few of the things voters shared with me when I volunteered at the polls this week. And if you’re wondering why a workforce tech company is interviewing voters about their concerns and priorities during this election cycle, it comes down to this: Our mission is to power the people who power teams, and we can’t do that without understanding the perspectives of workers in 2020.

So as we continue preparing our workforce for the future of work and expanding our policy plan to RAISE Every Worker, here are 1Huddle’s key takeaways from our conversations with voters on the needs of the U.S. workforce:

• Workers need more economic relief to recover from the impacts of COVID-19. I talked to workers in a wide range of industries who have lost their jobs and haven’t been able to make their rent payments or feed their families. These workers need a second round of stimulus payments and continued COVID crisis unemployment insurance so they are able to get back on their feet and look for jobs without having to struggle to cover basic needs.
• We need to invest in technology that is accessible to everyone. It’s 2020, yet 4.4 million households with children in America still lack consistent access to a computer and 3.7 million lack internet access. In a time when over 50 million K-12 students in the U.S. are attending online school, making internet access free to all Americans is one way to ensure we are preparing the workers of today and tomorrow for success. This will also help support working parents and working mothers at a time when unprecedented numbers of women are dropping out of the workforce. In September, over 865,000 women left the workforce—which is more than 8x higher than the number of men who dropped out. If we are going to continue making progress toward workplace equality, we need policies that support working women and caregivers so that no worker has to drop out of the workforce because of caretaking obligations and a lack of workplace flexibility.
• Politics affects every worker. Right now, more than 4 in 10 children in America live in households that are struggling to afford the basic necessities. Over 40 million workers have lost their jobs due to COVID, and more than 12 million Americans have lost their health insurance during the pandemic. This all goes to show that workers from every sector and industry are personally impacted by the policies that govern our lives and workplaces. Keeping politics out of the workplace is no longer an option. Recent surveys found that 78% of people talk about politics at work, and 47% of people say the 2020 presidential election has impacted their ability to get work done.

I’m grateful to work at an organization that encouraged me to engage in our democracy by taking a day off of work to volunteer at the polls and talk with voters. Our team values taking the time to understand the needs and priorities of workers across a diverse range of backgrounds, because this is essential to making sure we know how to empower the workers of today and future workers of tomorrow. 

If you want to learn more about what 1Huddle is doing to make a difference in our communities, you can check out our new Social Impact page that outlines how we’re fighting for equal opportunity, access, and respect for all workers.