US elections: Oprah Winfrey offers staff a day off to vote

Oprah Winfrey wants employees to get out and vote. Image: AFP/Suzanne Cordeiro via AFP Relaxnews

Oprah Winfrey has announced a decision that may well be imitated by other companies in the United States.

On her Instagram account, the ultra-famous television personality has declared that she will be giving all of her employees a paid holiday to enable them to vote in the U.S. presidential election.

Her announcement was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment of the Constitution of the United States Constitution, which gave white women the right to vote: “Today marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women – although not all women – the right to vote. In honor of those who fought and continue to fight for our rights, I’m announcing that November 3rd, Election Day, will be a company holiday at @owntv,” said the talk show host in a caption that accompanied a video on Instagram.

She went on to point out that the decision would give her team plenty of time to go to the polls to exercise their democratic rights.

The U.S. television icon also challenged other companies to make a similar commitment to encourage citizens to take part in what “might be the most important election of our lives.”

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CEDRXDsBM-G/?utm_source=ig_embed

Her call was immediately heard by the managers of the A3 Artists Agency which also gave its employees a paid holiday to encourage them to exercise their rights as citizens.

Oprah’s initiative has come at a time when many artists are calling on their fans to post their ballots in the presidential election in which Donald Trump will square off against former Obama vice-president Joe Biden.

Some of them, including Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are taking part in the Democratic National Convention, which is set to end on Thursday with a closing speech by Joe Biden. IB

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