An eruption of new electoral legislation has caused a stir among progressive activists, leading some large companies to take a political stance. Some corporations and executives have expressed opposition to the new bills, especially in Georgia.
Amazon, General Motors and others issued a joint statement opposing the voting restrictions. Earlier this month, Major League Baseball reportedly moved the All-Star Game to Georgia in protest of the new bill and the CEO of Delta Airlines said the voting law was “unacceptable.”
“Well, obviously companies have no idea what they’re talking about [from] Many of their objections, of course, have not been read by the bill, “said Hans von Spakovsky, a senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation.
“They don’t seem to understand that, that … the requirements of Georgia law really aren’t that different from many other states across the country,” he said. “In fact, in some ways, their law is less strict than places like New York and New Jersey.”
The new law in Georgia requires voter identification to vote for absenteeism, limits the use of deployment boxes, and restricts the distribution of food and water to voters waiting in line near the polls. Advocates believe these measures will increase security and faith in elections.
Opponents of these bills say they are aimed at low-income voters who have less flexibility to vote during business hours and are less likely to have a driver’s license or other forms of identification.
“Georgia, perhaps more than any other state, has benefited financially from the success of the civil rights movement,” said People For the American Way President Ben Jealous.
“And so it should come as no surprise to Governor Kemp that if he wants to throw his state into Jim Crow, this big business and companies withdraw from his stake in his state,” Jealous said.
Watch the video above to find out how these voting laws provoked a business reaction.