SEATTLE, Sept. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nordstrom today launched Make Your Voice Heard, a nationwide non-partisan voter participation initiative. In partnership with nonprofits When We All Vote and the National Urban League, Nordstrom aims to educate, inspire and make it easy for Nordstrom employees and customers to make their voice heard – both through responding to the 2020 Census and by voting in upcoming primaries and elections.
"We believe every voice matters and our country is stronger when we all participate in the democratic process," said Pete Nordstrom, president and chief brand officer. "This initiative is a direct result of feedback we heard from more than 50,000 Nordstrom employees from all regions of the U.S. They told us they want to be actively engaged in their communities and help find solutions to the challenges we're facing. Enabling them to make their voices heard by voting is a meaningful and productive way we can support our people and our communities."
By partnering with When We All Vote and the National Urban League, Nordstrom aims to help increase participation in upcoming elections. Together, the organizations will bring the Make Your Voice Heard campaign to life through virtual learning series, digital volunteer opportunities, curbside voter registration and a suite of online resources related to the 2020 Census, voter registration, education and participation.
"As we continue to strive to change the culture around voting, expanding our work with a partner like Nordstrom through their Make Your Voice Heard initiative is critical. With this partnership, we will be able to reach new eligible voters via the entire Nordstrom community of employees and customers, helping us to fulfill our mission to increase voter participation in every election," said Stephanie L. Young, Chief Officer for Culture and Communications, When We All Vote.
"We are proud to declare Nordstrom as an official partner of the National Urban League for this election and beyond to support our mission to provide economic empowerment and educational opportunities for underserved Americans. We will support Make Your Voice Heard through initiatives aimed at increased voter registration, 2020 Census participation, diverse corporate recruitment, community-based volunteerism, and much more. We are committed to making a difference and cannot wait to get started with Make Your Voice Heard," said Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League.
To make getting to the polls easier and ensure everyone has the time to vote, Nordstrom is making November 3, 2020, a holiday for all its U.S. Employees. While Nordstrom stores and operations centers remain open, the company will work with employees to set schedules which will enable them to get to the polls. Another way Nordstrom is supporting employees to participate in the voting process is by partnering with Civic Alliance to connect employees to volunteer opportunities. Finally, Nordstrom will provide its store, fulfillment center, distribution center and call center employees discounted rides to the polls through Lyft.
Nordstrom is also introducing an exclusive collection of Nordstrom Made "VOTE" apparel for Men, Women and Kids to celebrate voters' rights. The styles include t-shirts and sweatshirts featuring VOTE graphics priced from $19 to $60 and a portion of every Nordstrom Made VOTE purchase will be donated to When We All Vote and the National Urban League.
ABOUT NORDSTROM
Nordstrom, Inc. is a leading fashion retailer based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 355 stores in 40 states, including 100 full-line stores in the United States and Canada; 248 Nordstrom Rack stores; two clearance stores; and five Nordstrom Local service hubs.
Additionally, customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstrom.ca, Nordstromrack.com, HauteLook.com and TrunkClub.com. Nordstrom, Inc.'s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.
About Urban League
For more than a century, the National Urban League has been the authority on our nation's civil rights issues – impacting policy in Washington and implementing effective programming in urban communities across America. Our data-driven national management structure and evidence-based solutions inform policy and enact real change through legislative action. While our service model is local, the impact of our work reverberates on a national scale. We work to provide economic empowerment, access to health care, educational, job, and housing opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights for the underserved in America.
About When We All Vote
When We All Vote is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit launched by Co-Chair Michelle Obama in 2018 on a mission to change the culture around voting by bringing together citizens, institutions, brands, and organizations to increase participation in every election. They are also on a mission to close the race and age voting gap and empower all eligible voters to cast their ballot by harnessing grassroots energy, establishing strategic partnerships, and implementing digital organizing strategies. Learn more here.
PRESS CONTACT
Michael King
Michael.king2@nordstrom.com
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SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc.
