Kapowza is opening late on Election Day, encouraging everyone to get to the polls

The team at Baltimore creative marketing agency Kapowza is coming in late on November 6.
They’re planning to use the morning off to go vote, and encouraging fellow citizens in their community to come along with them. Beyond political beliefs, director of accounts Sean Sutherland believes Americans should participate in the democratic process. That’s why he’s encouraging others to do so, no matter their party affiliation.
“The best way to make sure your voice is heard is by voting,” Sutherland said.
In midterm elections in 2104, however, less than half of Marylanders voted, with turnout reported at 44.5 percent.
Starting with the Canton-based agency’s handful of employees, they’re looking to amplify the message by encouraging o friends and neighbors, as well as other companies in the Baltimore area to get to the polls. They’re sending the graphic shown below, and challenging them to help others go vote. If the small firms in Baltimore get together and take up the call, it could start to have a real impact, Sutherland said.
“I think there’s a lot of effort taken to make it seem like it’s not really worth it to vote, and we’re of the opinion that it is,” Sutherland said. “If we can, by opening late on November 6, help out not only our employees but the community around us, why wouldn’t we? We just need to make it easier.”

It’s one of a number of efforts we’ve been seeing in which companies are using their resources to make voting easier. , Some companies are offering paid leave to employees, while Uber and Lyft are providing free and discounted rides to the polls.
Eventually, Sutherland believes Election Day should be a national holiday. But for now, taking the morning off is a step toward ensuring the team will have full participation.
In Maryland, races appearing on the general ballot include members of Congress, governor, state attorney general and state delegates. Plus, Baltimore city has a host of ballot questions. (For a primer on the questions, check out this guide from Stefanie Mavronis).
In case you can’t make it on November 6, early voting started in Maryland this week, and continues through November 1. Here’s a list of locations.