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Articles in Category: Policy & Politics

Make The Retail Vote Count: Encourage Employees To Vote

Now is the time to remind employees of the importance of voting.

Election day (Tuesday, November 4) is just over three weeks away.  Now is the time to remind employees of the importance of voting.  For younger employees and those working their first job, this may be their first opportunity to go to their polling place.  Support the retail vote and Minnesota's traditionally high voter turnout by encouraging your employees to vote.

The Minnesota Secretary of State hosts several resources to make it easy for first-time and long-time voters.  As a first step, consider reminding your employees of their opportunity to vote and encourage them to do so!

Provided below is a sample memo to employees:

"Election Day is approaching, and we encourage all eligible employees to participate in our democratic process and vote on Tuesday, November 4.

This is a significant election year: Minnesotans will elect a U.S. Senator, U.S. House Representatives, Minnesota House representatives, Governor and state officers, and many important county and local officers.

A source for your all voting needs is the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State's mnvotes.org - where you can register to vote, request an absentee ballot, view your sample ballot, find your polling place location, and more. Another resource to guide you through the voting process in Minnesota is this two minute video, Election Year in Minnesota,.

Employees have certain rights when it comes to voting and their schedule.  If needed, please discuss your work schedule with your supervisor. Most polling places are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You also may vote early with an absentee ballot and avoid the lines at your polling place on Election Day.

The voting pre-registration deadline is October 14 for the November 4 General Election. You can register or update your registration online at mnvotes.org. You may also register at your polling place on Election Day.

Thank you for keeping Minnesota number-one in the nation for voter turnout."

Retail Industry Thanks Senator Kari Dziedzic For Collaboration

MnRA recognizes Senator Dziedzic for partnership with industry on mobile device acquisition bill

Retail Industry Thanks Senator Kari Dziedzic For Collaboration

During last week's Minnesota Retailers Association Board meeting, Board Chair Mike Hiltner (Best Buy) recognized and thanked Sen. Kari Dziedzic for her work with retailers on a mobile device acquisition bill passed during the 2014 legislative session. 

In recognizing Sen. Dziedzic, Hiltner shared these comments:

"During the 2014 legislative session, Senator Kari Dziedzic worked closely with retailers and MnRA as she crafted a bill designed to reign in mobile device theft and related violence in Minnesota.

MnRA recognizes Sen. Dziedzic for engaging retailers on her mobile device acquisition bill and working with the industry to protect responsible retailers.

Today we thank Sen. Dziedzic for successful collaboration with the retail industry."

Thank you Sen. Dziedzic for your partnership!

KariDziedzic520

Best Buy CEO Talks The Future Of Retail & E-Fairness With Nation's Governors

Hubert Joly spoke to the National Governors Association this past weekend

Best Buy CEO Talks The Future Of Retail & E-Fairness With Nation's Governors

This past weekend, Best Buy President and CEO Hubert Joly had a unique opportunity to address the nation's governors at the National Governors Associations summer meeting. Joly's talk focused on how today's retailers are integrating the in-store and online customer experience, and the need for marketplace fairness.

Joly said that today's trends do not forecast the death of mainstreet retailers, rather retailers with a multi-channel approach to sales are poised for success. In addition, Joly shared his retail recipe for retail success: focus on advice, service, and convenience. For Best Buy, this has meant refocusing on providing an amazing customer experience, leveraging unique assets, building capability while innovating, and experimenting with strategies.

Joly thanked the National Governors Association for its leadership on online sales tax fairness, and asked each state to continue that push, saying if we want help create 1.5 million new U.S. jobs and combat the closure of 5,000 stores last year, marketplace fairness is needed now.  Government shouldn't pick winners and losers, he told the governors, adding "I think it's an issue that can be solved and must be solved this year."

Click here to watch Hubert Joly's speech.

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