Our Greatest Untapped Resource to Protect Elections? Corporate Lobbying
This Congressional document lists the “Issue Codes” lobbyists can choose from in the part of their federal lobbying reports where they identify the types of policies they advocate for.
Not on the list: elections.
It’s so rare for anyone to lobby for free and fair elections that regulators didn’t even list elections in the top 129 categories alongside fisheries and the gold standard.
American companies spent a record $4.53 billion lobbying in 2024. While we can’t know how much was spent on election policy, it’s safe to say there’s room to grow.
There’s little question businesses should put dollars behind free and fair elections. Democratic countries have a higher GDP per capita than non-democracies. Over 96% of executives agree that a well-functioning democracy is needed for a strong economy, and 71% of CEOs are “very concerned” that geopolitical instability would harm sales.
Evidence also shows that stakeholders reward organizations that lead with their values: 81% of consumers are more likely to buy a company’s products if it speaks out against restrictive voting laws, and 76% are more likely to work for a company that promotes democracy.
We also know how to tell companies to spend election-related lobbying dollars effectively. For example:
A survey of local election officials by the Brennan Center says 75% of election officials need more funding to meet demands around security, machines, and polls workers. Congress, however, just proposed a paltry $15 million in election funding. Companies lobby more over appropriations than any other issue, so it should be easy for them to lobby around election spending.
Protecting elections from foreign influence is something we all agree on. However, the agency that does this—the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA—has seen drastic cuts, and election officials are worried. DHS Noem says that, despite the cuts, CISA will provide some cybersecurity resources. Maybe a few of the 659 companies that lobby on technology, the 487 that lobby on homeland security, or the 398 that lobby on telecommunications can lobby Noem to stick to her position around providing basic election-related cybersecurity services?
Others have pointed out obstacles to this plan: C-suites aren’t versed in election administration, and corporations are good at advocating for their own business interests but “less well equipped to act on shared social concerns.”
Given what’s on the line, these obstacles are worth overcoming. Organizations like Leadership Now Project are educating and organizing business leaders. Private executive briefings and bespoke advocacy strategies are also available.
So let’s get to it. If you’re an employee, look up your company’s lobbying budget and email leadership saying you want some of it spent on elections. If you’re in leadership, get educated. If you need resources, I’ve got them.
There’s very, very little time to waste.