Boost Mobile Is Turning Its Storefronts Into Polling Places on Election Day

A 2014 report from the Brennan Center for Justice found that minority communities suffered from a lack of voting resources and locations during elections, leading to longer wait times and, inevitably, huge obstacles when it came to casting their ballots. So Boost Mobile and its agency 180LA have conceived a brilliant initiative to help these communities get their voices heard during the upcoming presidential race by offering up the mobile provider's retail locations as polling places on Election Day. Boost says that the idea is the first time a brand has offered up its private storefronts as election polling places. On top of that, come Nov. 8, Boost's own employees will be volunteering to man the voting sites. "Last election, millions of lower income and minority voters faced long lines and inconvenient locations," said William Gelner, chief creative officer at 180LA in a statement. "With Boost Mobile stores in these areas, why not offer them up as places to vote and allow all voices to be heard?" To get the word out, the brand debuted the above film, "Boost Your Voice -- Equal Access for All," which documents the voting struggles of people in low-income and minority neighborhoods. It also shows how Boost Mobile has started to put its idea into play at select locations. So far, the company has brought the program to a few Southern California counties, including Riverside, San Diego and Orange County, as well as Cook County in Chicago. But that's just the start of what Boost hopes will be a larger play that extends to more communities. The company has extended its polling place offer to 817 county election boards across the country, and has created a change.org petition to drum up support. Election officials can contact Boost Mobile directly via elections@boostyourvoice.com. "Unequal voting access is a big problem in our country and those most affected are often in communities close to our stores," said Peiti Feng, brand marketing director of Boost Mobile, in a statement. "Boost Mobile can no longer stand on the sidelines. We believe everyone deserves to be heard and it's our hope we can make a difference in providing more polling places and resources to those who need it most."

Boost Mobile Is Turning Its Storefronts Into Polling Places on Election Day

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