Democracy is good for business — and it depends on every eligible American having a voice. Levi Strauss & Co. firmly supports the right to vote and to participate in our democratic process.
Voting is the bedrock of American democracy — one of the most powerful ways citizens can shape the future of their communities and country. Safeguarding the right to vote means ensuring our electoral system is free from discrimination and empowers every eligible voter to participate fully, freely and on equal footing.
Our commitment to democracy and civic participation is not new. It dates back to the election of 1864, when Levi Strauss closed his stores in California to give employees time off to vote. His belief that employees should not have to choose between voting and earning a paycheck continues to underpin our work today.
Which is why, in 2018, we founded Time To Vote — a nonpartisan business coalition to rally companies to give employees time off to cast their ballots. Today, more than 2,000 companies are members of Time to Vote across all 50 states. At LS&Co.’s corporate offices, retail stores and distribution centers, we provide nonpartisan resources to help employees register, volunteer and vote in every election — and ensure they have the time and information they need to cast their ballots.
We have continued to build on our voting efforts in recent years, including through the Community College Commitment — a nonpartisan, business-led initiative with the goal of turning out new community college voters and reducing the gap in voting rates between two-year schools and four-year colleges. When we launched this effort in 2024, LS&Co. supported voter registration activations on 99 community college campuses across 37 states. And we are continuing this work ahead of the midterms this fall.
LS&Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation also support nonpartisan organizations working to strengthen our democracy. Our grantmaking focuses on removing barriers to voting, mobilizing voters in underrepresented communities and increasing civic participation. In 2026, we are supporting 35 nonprofit organizations across the United States, providing more than $2.5 million in grants to organizations like Students Learn Students Vote, Voting Rights Lab, VoteRiders, National Voter Registration Day and Everyday Democracy.
Our commitment to strengthening democracy and protecting the right to vote will endure as it has for more than 170 years.
