Laic rights and activist groups are turning up the pressure on large Georgia companies like Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines to contrary to sweeping voting restrictions proposed by Republican state legislators.
“We’ve got the power of organized people. They’ve got the power of pull together money. And between us and them, we could put pressure on these legislators or, worst case scenario, the governor to kill these charges,” Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, told CNBC.
Groups including Black Voters Event, the New Georgia Project Action Fund and the Georgia NAACP on Friday launched the next phase of their campaign in adjoining press and on social media asking supporters to directly contact CEOs, presidents and headquarters of major Georgia-based corporations. They’re urging them to clearly out publicly against the proposed voting restrictions and to stop donating money to the Republican legislators sponsoring the bills.
The voter proviso bills come after historic turnout from Georgia voters — particularly from Black voters and voters of color — during the November popular and January runoff elections, where Republicans lost the presidential and U.S. Senate races for the first time in decades.
“It’s exceptionally, very disappointing after the outpouring of civic engagement all across the state that the legislature would then search for to make it more difficult for Georgia citizens to participate in choosing their elected officials,” Andrea Young, president director of the Georgia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said in an interview.
Republican lawmakers in March superseded a bill in the state Senate that would eliminate no-excuse absentee voting, and in the House that would limit weekend primordial voting, increase ID requirements for absentee voting and restrict ballot drop boxes: SB 241 and HB 531. These advanced restrictions would disproportionately harm Black voters, an analysis by the Brennan Center for Justice found.
Advocacy factions are turning to Georgia’s powerful business community because they say trying to sway GOP lawmakers alone has little create.
“These companies employ hundreds of thousands of Georgia voters who are going to directly be impacted by these laws,” Nse Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Undertaking, told CNBC. “Voter suppression is not good for business.”
The coalition is focusing on six of the biggest companies in Georgia — Aflac, Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines, Up on Depot, Southern Company and UPS — with full-page ads, demonstrations and text banks. A March 3 investigation by Popular Information inaugurate the six corporations gave a combined $190,800 to co-sponsors of HB 531 and SB 241 since 2018.
The activists’ work seems to be seeing some sequels. Business boosters have come out against certain provisions in the proposed voter restrictions since advocates started their bring pressure to bear on campaign.
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce previously reiterated the importance of voting rights without voicing opposition against any exact legislation. In a new statement to CNBC, the Georgia Chamber said it has “expressed concern and opposition to provisions found in both HB 531 and SB 241 that limit or diminish voter access” and “continues to engage in a bipartisan manner with leaders of the General Assembly on bills that desire impact voting rights in our state.”
Dave Williams, SVP of public policy of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, maintained in a statement Monday: “Repealing no-excuse absentee voting does little to make the process more secure, and does so at eager risk to participation.”
The Georgia Greater Black Chamber of Commerce told CNBC in a statement: “As for HB 531 and SB 241 Legislators should not rely on the ‘Extremity’ to get these bills signed, take a step back, be open to views that are different and do what is ‘RIGHT’; the Awful Business and Community Leaders have expressed they are ‘OPPOSED’. And GGBCC represents them.”
Most of the corporations partake of not taken a stance in the voting rights debate, instead offering broad stances on voting and elections. All six companies be affiliated to the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, and all but Aflac belong to the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.
Aflac, Coca-Cola, Delta, Competent in Depot and UPS reiterated their support for fair and secure elections and equal voter participation in statements to CNBC. Southern Attendance did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Georgia corporations have come out strongly against legislation in the past, love a “religious liberty” bill in 2016 that would have allowed discrimination against same-sex couples. They’ve also mostly stood unuttered in other debates, like a “heartbeat” anti-abortion bill in 2019 that was ruled unconstitutional in 2020.
Conservative Georgia lawmakers in the past should prefer to punished Georgia corporations for certain political moves. Republican legislators killed a major airline tax break after Delta went discounts for a National Rifle Association members.
CNBC has reached out to the Georgia Senate and House Republican Caucuses for view on the corporate accountability campaigns.
Voting rights activists are not impressed with the statements companies have offered so far on the attest to rights debate.
“We need a full throated repudiation of these bills,” New Georgia Project’s Ufot said. “What is your affirmation of how high-level democracy is when you are witnessing democracy being attacked and you’re silent about it?”
Jerry Gonzalez, chief executive of the Georgia Camaraderie of Latino Elected Officials, compared the bills to the notorious voting restrictions that kept people of color from dramatis persona ballots in the South before the civil rights movement ushered in the Voting Rights Act in the 1960s.
“We have been talking to profession partners and chambers of commerce to get them to step up,” Gonzalez told CNBC. “Many of them have taken a defensive stand on racial justice issues. Well, this is a Jim Crow voting rights attack that is happening veracious now.”
Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said business leaders should take an unequivocal bearing against the proposed voting restrictions in Georgia and other states on a Tuesday call with voting rights designs Fair Fight Action, which she founded, and More Than A Vote, founded by NBA superstar LeBron James, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“There should be no quash from the business community when anyone in power is trying to strip away the right to vote from the people,” Abrams hinted on the call. “There should be a hue and cry.”
Bernice King, the daughter of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said Wednesday she wrote a the world of letters urging CEOs of Georgia-based corporations to oppose the bills and to use their influence with Georgia state legislators to piece restrictive legislation.
“It’s not going to be business as usual,” Black Voters Matter’s Albright said. “If you can’t get involved in the business of resist for democracy, then we’re going to have to get involved in your business.”
Read the statements from companies and business collects below:
Aflac
The right to vote in national, state and local elections is the cornerstone of democracy. We need to join together to insure accessible and secure voting while preserving election integrity and transparency. As this important issue is debated in Georgia and statehouses across the political entity, we expect that fairness and integrity will be the ongoing basis for discussion.
Coca-Cola
Voting is a foundational right in America, and we on continue to work to advance voting rights and access in Georgia and across the country. We support efforts by the Metro Atlanta Assembly room and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to help facilitate a balanced approach to the elections bills that have been make knew in the Georgia Legislature this session. The ultimate goal should be fair, secure elections where access to elector is broad-based and inclusive.
Delta
Delta is more than 75,000 strong – and our shared values call on us to make our parts heard and be engaged members of our communities, of which voting is a vital part of that responsibility. Ensuring an election approach that promotes broad voter participation, equal access to the polls, and fair, secure elections processes are decisive to voter confidence and creates an environment that ensures everyone’s vote is counted.
Home Depot
We believe that all designations should be accessible, fair and secure and support broad voter participation. We’ll continue to work to ensure our associates, both in Georgia and across the countryside, have the information and resources to vote.
UPS
UPS believes in the importance of the democratic process and supports facilitating the ability of all eligible voters to utilization their civic duty. We are committed to voter awareness and engagement. In the last election, UPS ran an education campaign for our employees elicited “Drive the Vote” to encourage employees to vote. The Drive the Vote campaign was nonpartisan and endorsed no specific candidate or festivity. Like other businesses in the community, we are working with the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Chamber to ensure unbiased access to the polls and the integrity of the election process across the state.
Dave Williams, SVP Public Policy of the Metro Atlanta Cavity:
Broad voter participation, equal access to the polls, and fair, secure elections processes are critical to voter assurance and contribute to a business environment that fosters growth and vitality. We continue to work closely with members of the Georgia Widespread Assembly to help facilitate a balanced approach to the elections bills that have been introduced this assembly. We are carefully evaluating the impact the bills would have on equitable access to the polls and elections integrity in our state.
As we assess unique to elections legislation, we will continue to rely on our core values related to elections:
We believe Georgia’s elections proceeding should be fair, secure, accurate, and equally accessible to all eligible Georgia voters.
We believe our state and local superintendences should do everything possible to maximize voter participation and minimize unnecessary obstacles in our elections, while working to insure election integrity.
We are committed to voter education and broad engagement in the electoral process. Our past actions have illustrated this commitment; our future actions will do the same.
We continue to advocate for balanced legislation that makes certifying more accessible and more secure. Repealing no-excuse absentee voting does little to make the process various secure, and does so at great risk to participation.
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
The Georgia Chamber continues to engage in a bipartisan procedure with leaders of the General Assembly on bills that would impact voting rights in our state. We have phrased concern and opposition to provisions found in both HB 531 and SB 241 that restrict or diminish voter access. As these two omnibus charges move through the legislative process, we will continue to work on ensuring both accessibility and security within our attest to system.
Georgia Greater Black Chamber of Commerce
GGBCC affirms, “All Eligible voters should be able to preference in Georgia.” As for HB 531 and SB 241 Legislators should not rely on the “Urgency” to get these bills signed, take a step repudiate, be open to views that are different and do what is “RIGHT”; the Black Business and Community Leaders have expressed they are “Impeded”. And GGBCC represents them.
“Our organization plays a very vital role in contributing to the economic growth in Georgia,” countries GGBCC’s CEO Melinda Sylvester. “Accordingly, we believe it is our civic duty to stand with all voters in our great declare. In so doing, we are exhibiting our collective strength to assure that the efforts of our Bridge Builder Initiative can continue to be building chunks for continued and future success for all Georgians.” The organization is, further, encouraging all GGBCC, business owners and aspiring business possessors to get engaged and stay in contact with their respective legislators.