Time to Vote

Welcome to October’s issue. It’s our annual Runway & Ramp Special Edition. 

Rather than provide a preview of what’s inside, there’s another important topic I’d like to call to your attention. We all need to vote!

With the general election coming November 3, now is the time to plan. I’m not suggesting that we become one-issue voters, but it is important to know how candidates at the local, state and federal levels feel about our industry. We need to consider how candidates stack up on a host of issues, including aviation. This takes a little homework, and now is the time to do it. Given the way our industry is financed, there are jobs at stake here. We need to elect candidates who don’t just pay lip service to airports, but those who will vote for money to be spent on them.

And here’s an appeal to all of the airports, consulting firms and industry suppliers out there. Help your employees help themselves, and our industry, by making it as easy as possible for them to vote. The U.S. typically has an embarrassingly low voter turnout compared to other developed countries. When you factor in the COVID-19 pandemic, the standard situation becomes even more problematic. With fewer polling places, longer lines and questions about our postal service being able to deliver absentee ballots in time, there are new obstacles voters need to overcome this year. 

Proactively encouraging employees to vote isn’t just the right thing to do, it could also help facilitate the election of candidates who support our industry. Your part can be as simple as allowing employees to vote during the workday, hosting a voting drive or providing “how to vote” materials. For more ideas, visit maketimetovote.org. It’s a completely nonpartisan movement that more than 700 companies had already joined by late August, when I wrote this. 

Be a leader. Help get out the vote.

Cheers,