It All Starts With Your Vote

Participating in our democratic process is a hard-earned right, yet one of the most common reasons people give for not voting is that they’re too busy with the demands of work and life. As a company, GoPro is committed to removing roadblocks wherever we can to ensure our employees have the time and space to exercise their civic duty. Joining the business community in the Time To Vote Coalition, we believe in the power of democracy and making space for civic engagement.

This Election Day, Nov. 3, GoPro has blocked calendars for a day without meetings for all US employees, and we offer time off to vote, volunteer and participate in the democratic process. We believe that work should not stand in the way of casting a vote. Now, let’s all do our part and vote!

To kick things off, GoPro teamed up with Alaskan artist and GoPro family member Max Romey to share a piece of art with the hopes of inspiring us all to vote. While we like to think he’s encouraging us to celebrate voting by yelling from the mountaintops, Max is using his artistic abilities—along with some breathtaking views of public lands—to simply inspire.

Voting has been a hard-fought right that should not be taken for granted. In the run-up to the 2020 election, we want you to have the tools you need to exercise this most sacred pillar of democracy. With our vote, we shape the future.

Visit vote.gov to find state-by-state election resources like: How to register, registration deadlines (PRO TIP: they’re quickly approaching), and mail-in and in-person voting guidance.

Here are a few words from Max about this piece:

Making this video I wanted to show how many voices it takes to create the bigger picture. It can be hard to see how our local actions can make that much of a change, but when it comes down to it, true change happens on a local level and that all starts with us. We all want to make a difference. It’s really hard to do something that you feel will stand out. There’s so much going on in the world right now, we think: ‘How on Earth could I make a difference?’ For me, it’s painting and being outdoors here in Alaska. But everyone has something they can do in their community. It can be really overwhelming to try to figure out a way to make a difference, but it’s also an amazing opportunity to do something different and stand out a little bit.  

There’s so much that I benefit from that I take for granted. Only recently, especially in election years here in Alaska, do I get a sense of how lucky I am. So many of my paintings take place on public lands. They’re made possible because of the policies and decisions of those before. Now that I can vote and make a difference – huge challenges mean huge opportunities for solutions.

The word ‘choice’ of exercising your right to vote is really interesting for me because I’m literally exercising to vote – I’m voting for the right to exercise. So much of what makes me, me is being in these wild spaces. It’s directly tied to policies that people make once they’re elected. It’s extremely important for me to be able to creatively show these places that others may not be able to see themselves. There’s such an opportunity to vote for something bigger than yourself – as a young person, I’m excited to use the outdoors and my skills with watercolors to bring these places to a larger audience.

You can follow Max and his artistic endeavors @MaxRomey. To learn more about voting, visit vote.gov.