The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia corporate giants tiptoe into raging voting rights debate
Guarded approach touts equitable access, doesn’t oppose specific bills.
Under pressure from civil rights activists, some of Georgia’s biggest companies and their allies at the Capitol are taking a guarded approach toward election measures that would limit weekend early voting days, curb absentee voting and add other restrictions at the ballot box.
The corporate titans aren’t standing in fierce opposition to the restrictive voting proposals moving through the Legislature, much like they did in 2016 when they rallied against a “religious liberty” measure that critics blasted as discriminatory.
But they aren’t exactly staying silent either, which was the stance most corporate leaders took during the 2019 debate over abortion legislation that divided Georgia lawmakers.
Instead, the state’s leading corporate interests are somewhere in between. Business lobbies are actively engaging in the legislative wrangling and touting the need for equitable access to the polls, but they’re also not outspoken in opposing some of the most contentious elements mov
ing through the Statehouse.
Coca-cola said it would “work to advance voting rights and access” in Georgia and across the country. Delta Air Lines backed an “election system that promotes broad voter participation, equal access to the polls, and fair, secure elections processes.” Home Depot endorsed “accessible, fair and secure” elections. Likewise, Aflac and UPS touted a push for fairness and integrity.
The state’s biggest business boosters, too, have outlined broad stances without specifically opposing any measures. The Georgia Chamber of Commerce noted that Georgia’s voting laws were in line with 33 other states. The Metro Atlanta Chamber said it supported elections that were “equally accessible” to voters.
“We believe our state and local governments should do everything possible to maximize voter participation and minimize unnecessary obstacles in our elections, while working to ensure election integrity,” said Dave Williams, a senior executive with the chamber, outlining one of the organization’s three “core values” for election measures.
The Fortune 500 companies, some of which launched campaigns stressing the importance of voting, have come under intensifying pressure by civil rights groups and Democrats to take a sharper stand against the measures advancing under the Gold Dome.
The Georgia chapter of the NAACP demanded this week that the state’s biggest brands stand against “a second coming of Jim Crow.” And a coalition of groups ran full-page ads in The Atlanta Journal-constitution and other Georgia newspapers with an all-caps headline: “Corporate Georgia, will you stand with Georgia voters?”
Other advocates took a similar stance after the left-leaning Popular Information reported that some of the state’s best-known firms have donated tens of thousands of dollars since 2018 to Republican state legislators who backed efforts to invalidate Georgia’s November election.
“Silence is not an option — it is time for corporations to stand with the voters who make up the new Georgia,” said Nsé Ufot, the chief executive of the New Georgia Project voter registration group. She added that businesses should “publicly oppose these anti-voting bills that pose a direct threat to voters of color.”
Corporations might be wary of wading deeper into the polarizing debate for many reasons, including potentially alienating a segment of their customer base. They may also strategically hold their fire until a clearer picture of the legislation emerges; there are more than 70 measures pending, and the most comprehensive packages are likely to change significantly in the weeks ahead.
But Georgia’s CEO crowd also needs no reminder of what happened in 2018, when then-lt. Gov. Casey Cagle blocked a lucrative tax break for Delta after the airline enraged conservatives by ending a group discount for the National Rifle Association. (The $35 million annual incentive was later revived.)
Gov. Brian Kemp has also not taken a vocal stance on the restrictions, aside from strongly endorsing new ID requirements for absentee ballots. His allies say he opposes limiting no-excuse mail-in voting and ending automatic voter registration, though publicly he’s stuck to milder talking points.
“It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat,” he said. “And we should have secure, accessible and fair elections in Georgia.”
Here are the full statements we’ve collected:
AFLAC
Aflac has a long history of supporting fairness and justice. The right to Vote in national, state and local elections is the cornerstone of democracy. We need to join together to ensure accessible and secure voting while preserving election integrity and transparency. As this important issue is debated in Georgia and statehouses across the nation, we expect that fairness and integrity will be the ongoing basis for discussion.
COCA-COLA
Voting is a foundational right in America, and we will continue to work to advance voting rights and access in Georgia and across the country.
We support efforts by the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to help facilitate a balanced approach to the elections bills that have been introduced in the Georgia Legislature this session.
The ultimate goal should be fair, secure elections where access to voting is broadbased and inclusive.
DELTA AIR LINES
Delta is more than 75,000 strong — and our shared values call on us to make our voices heard and be engaged members of our communities, of which voting is a vital part of that responsibility. Ensuring an election system that promotes broad voter participation, equal access to the polls, and fair, secure elections processes are critical to voter confidence and creates an environment that ensures everyone’s vote is counted.
GEORGIA CHAMBER
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce believes the right to vote is one of the most sacred rights of a U.S. Citizen. We also believe that free enterprise thrives when democracy is secured, and civility is embraced. By upholding the American ideal of free and fair elections, we demonstrate our commitment to protect the votes and rights of all Georgians and the growth of free enterprise. In 2020, Georgia voting laws were in line with 33 other states for absentee, early, and day-of voting.
To that end, the Georgia Chamber supports accessible and secure voting while upholding election integrity and transparency. Simply put, we believe that it should be easy to vote, hard to commit fraud and that Georgians should have faith and confidence in secure, accessible, and fair elections.
HOME DEPOT
We believe that all elections 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 country, have the information and resources to vote.
METRO ATLANTA CHAMBER
Broad voter participation, equal access to the polls, and fair, secure elections processes are critical to voter confidence and contribute to a business environment that fosters growth and vitality. We continue to work closely with members of the Georgia General Assembly to help facilitate a balanced approach to the elections bills that have been introduced this session. 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 specific elections legislation, we will continue to rely on our core values related to elections:
■ We believe Georgia’s elections process should be fair, secure, accurate, and equally accessible to all eligible Georgia voters.
■ We believe our state and local governments should do everything possible to maximize voter participation and minimize unnecessary obstacles in our elections, while working to ensure election integrity.
■ We are committed to voter education and broad engagement in the electoral process. Our past actions have demonstrated this commitment; our future actions will do the same.
UPS
■ UPS believes in the importance of the democratic process and supports facilitating the ability of all eligible voters to exercise their civic duty. We are committed to voter awareness and engagement. In the last election, UPS ran an education campaign for our employees called “Drive the Vote” to encourage employees to vote. The Drive the Vote campaign was nonpartisan and endorsed no specific candidate or party. Like other businesses in the community, we are working with the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Chamber to ensure equitable access to the polls and the integrity of the election process across the state.