Patagonia says employees will have paid day off to vote early and volunteer

Outdoor apparel company Patagonia announced Monday it is closing its stores and giving all of its U.S. employees paid time off on Oct. 29 to vote early.

The company has given its employees Election Day off since 2016, and now it is one of the first big companies to give time off for National Vote Early Day.

Patagonia said it's calling the new paid holiday Vote Early and Volunteer Day , encouraging its thousands of employees across its retail stores, warehouses and offices to give back to their communities.

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The company is partnering with the League of Conservation Voters to provide opportunities for its employees to volunteer in ways that help encourage people to vote, including door-knocking, writing letters, sending texts and more.

Citing democracy experts from both sides of the aisle, the company said voting early can help to avoid long lines and provide ample time to correct any registration issues.

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“For Patagonia, voting is a priority because democratic participation creates the foundation for progress on every issue we care about,” said Corley Kenna, vice president of communications and public policy at Patagonia, in a statement.

There are a lot of states that mandate paid time off for voting on Election Day, but none that do so for voting early. There is no federal law that requires employers to give time off to vote, although lawmakers have consistently tried to pass legislation that would.