Starbucks CEO Makes Voter Registration Easier Than Ever For Its Employees

Starbucks wants its employees to rock the vote, and it's helping to make it happen. The company is providing workers with access to TurboVote, which allows users to register to vote quickly and securely from any computer or mobile device, according to a letter from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz addressed to the chain's 150,000 U.S. employees.

The idea for the initiative came from a Partner Open Forum in Brooklyn. When Schultz asked what the company could do to elevate citizenship, Fred Verillo, a shift supervisor, said, "Make people aware of the importance to vote... I think that would be phenomenal."

Schultz cites a 2014 U.S. Census Bureau Survey in which over 60 percent of respondents said they did not vote for a variety of issues, such as the registration process or forgetting to vote.

Schultz says, "It does not matter if you are a Republican, a Democrat or an Independent. Our intention is nonpartisan, and it is simple: By helping to increase voter registration and participation, we believe more people will have an opportunity to make their voices count."