Oprah Winfrey has declared election day in the US a holiday for all of her employees in a push to encourage voter turnout.
The entrepreneur announced the news in a video posted to her Instagram account.
"This will give my team the necessary time to put on their masks, get to the polls, cast their ballots, and volunteer," she said.
She added that she hopes the election holiday will be emulated by other firms: "I challenge other companies to do the same because this might be the most important election of our lives. Together we can overcome all obstacles in order to exercise our right to vote."
She also invited her followers to check in on the account, Own Your Vote, which is billed as "a bipartisan, pro-social campaign for Black women, to recognize the power and importance of her vote, and empower her to take action."
Oprah is not the only high profile figure encouraging people to vote ahead of the election on 3 November.
Michelle Obama has made voter registration a central pillar of her work this year, inviting celebrity friends including Tom Hanks, Janelle Monae and Selena Gomez to join her 'Voter Squad' to spread the message, while Meghan Markle has announced she will be joining a virtual 'couch' party to encourage female voter registration.
According to data gathered by the US Census Bureau, Black voter turnout in particular declined sharply in 2016 to 59%, though the percentage of Millennial voters increased to 50%. 137 million people voted in the 2016 election.
