Business For America is a coalition of businesses that supports left-of-center election administration proposals. It supported changes to the Electoral Count Act in 2022, which it claimed would help to prevent a future constitutional crisis around counting electoral votes. ¹ It also supports weakening voter integrity laws and increasing federal oversight of elections. ²

Overview

Business For America was founded in 2017 after Donald Trump was elected president, though leaders of the group claim that its foundations were being laid as early as 2014. ³ The group supports legislation and business practices that it claims will increase election turnout and restore faith in electoral institutions. ⁴

In 2020, the group’s leaders co-authored an op-ed for CNN Business with the co-founders of Warby Parker that urged businesses give their employees paid time off to vote. The op-ed also encouraged Congress to fully fund absentee ballots and early voting programs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⁵

After the 2020 elections, the organization campaigned for a federal takeover of elections, in response to states passing voter integrity laws after the 2020 election. Business for America helped recruit more than 160 businesses into a coalition called Business for Voting Rights that campaigned for a federal takeover of election administration. ⁶

In 2022, Business for America supported changes to the Electoral Count Act that would clearly establish limits on the Vice President’s power during the electoral-vote counting process, raise the threshold for members of Congress to object to the certification of the vote, and otherwise clarify and update a law that many claim is poorly written, vague, and antiquated. The organization said that passage of the Electoral Count Act reforms would reduce the possibility of a constitutional crisis. ⁷

Members

Among the member companies of Business for American are personal care products manufacturer Hims & Hers, clothiers Patagonia and REI Co-op, eyeglass seller Warby Parker, natural products manufacturer Seventh Generation, investment firm Trillium Asset Management, and the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance. ⁸

Leadership

The founder and CEO of Business for America is Sarah Bonk. Before founding the organization, she worked at Apple, where she managed more than 50 interactive designers and managers for Apple.com. ⁹

Among those on the advisory board of the is former independent vice-presidential candidate Mindy Finn. ¹⁰

1. “ICYMI: NPR: Proposed Reforms for the Electoral Count Act Draw Broad Support.” Office of Senator Susan Collins. July 25, 2022. https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/icymi-npr-proposed-reforms-for-the-electoral-count-act-draw-broad-support.
2. “Sarah Bonk: Engaging Business for Stronger Democracy.” The American Leader. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://theamericanleader.org/leader/sarah-bonk-engaging-business-for-stronger-democracy/.
3. “Sarah Bonk: Engaging Business for Stronger Democracy.” The American Leader. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://theamericanleader.org/leader/sarah-bonk-engaging-business-for-stronger-democracy/.
4. “Sarah Bonk: Engaging Business for Stronger Democracy.” The American Leader. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://theamericanleader.org/leader/sarah-bonk-engaging-business-for-stronger-democracy/.
5. Blumenthal, Neil, Dave Gilboa, and Sarah Bonk. “Founders of Warby Parker and Business for America: Give Your Employees Paid Time off to Vote.” CNN. August 16, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/16/perspectives/warby-parker-business-for-america-vote/index.html.
6. “Sarah Bonk: Engaging Business for Stronger Democracy.” The American Leader. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://theamericanleader.org/leader/sarah-bonk-engaging-business-for-stronger-democracy/.
7. “ICYMI: NPR: Proposed Reforms for the Electoral Count Act Draw Broad Support.” Office of Senator Susan Collins. July 25, 2022. https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/icymi-npr-proposed-reforms-for-the-electoral-count-act-draw-broad-support.
8. “Members.” Business For America. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://www.bfa.us/members.
9. “Sarah Bonk.” Business for America. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://www.bfa.us/people/sarah-bonk.
10. “About Us.” Business for America. Accessed February 6, 2023. https://www.bfa.us/about-us.