Coke, Delta oppose Georgia’s “unacceptable” voting law
ATLANTA» The leaders of two of Georgia’s biggest corporate giants said Wednesday they staunchly opposed the state’s sweeping elections restrictions, reversing weeks of milder statements about the farranging new law pushed through the Legislature by Republican lawmakers.
Delta Air Lines chief executive Ed Bastian said in a memo to employees that the law was “unacceptable” and “based on a lie” of widespread fraud in last November’s election. Hours later, Coca-Cola’s leader also pronounced the measure “unacceptable.”
The sharply worded statements came as Georgia companies face growing threats of boycotts from voting rights advocates who say local corporations should have done more to oppose the Republicanbacked legislation before it was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp last week.
It also triggered threats of backlash from Republican legislators who embraced the contentious election overhaul as a necessary measure to restore confidence. Kemp and other GOP leaders say they were caught off guard by the opposition, and some talked of punishing the airline during the final, frenzied day of the legislative session Wednesday.
In the memo, Bastian said the new voting restrictions will make it harder for underrepresented voters, particularly Black voters, to exercise their constitutional right to elect representatives in the state.
“I need to make it crystal clear that the final bill is unacceptable and does not match Delta’s values,” Bastian wrote.
James Quincey, Coca-Cola’s chief executive, appeared on CNBC later Wednesday to call the legislation “wrong” and urge lawmakers to revisit it.
“This legislation is unacceptable. It’s a step backward and it does not promote principles we have stood for in Georgia around broad access to voting, around voter convenience, about ensuring election integrity,” Quincey said.
The corporate pushback risks running afoul of state Republican leaders while they’re locked Wednesday in a frenzied final day of the legislative session. Several Republican legislators said they expect Delta to face retribution for its stance, although it was not immediately clear how that would play out.
Kemp said he was blindsided by Delta’s position, saying that at “no point” did the airline raise objections with his office about some of the controversial provisions in the measure before he signed it into law.
“Today’s statement by Delta CEO Ed Bastian stands in stark contrast to our conversations with the company, ignores the content of the new law, and unfortunately continues to spread the same false attacks being repeated by partisan activists,” said the first-term Republican.
The state’s far-ranging new election law includes a new ID requirement for mail-in votes, curbs the use of ballot drop boxes and gives the Republican-controlled Legislature more power over local elections officials. It also bans volunteers from handing out food and water to voters waiting in lines.
Kemp and other supporters say the overhaul will increase confidence in Georgia’s voting system after then-President Donald Trump falsely claimed he had won the election. Election officials, including Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, say there’s no evidence of widespread fraud. Multiple recounts verified the results, and legal challenges went nowhere.
Democrats and voting rights groups say the law will harm historically disenfranchised communities by making it harder for poorer Georgians to vote. Left-leaning organizations have filed three separate lawsuits asking federal judges to declare the law an unconstitutional violation of the Voting Rights Act. Backlash?
Like most other major Georgia corporations, Delta and Coca-Cola this month issued carefully worded statements calling for a “fair, secure elections process” but did not voice opposition to the legislation. After the law was signed last week, both also issued statements that appeared to defend it because it was less restrictive than earlier versions.
On Wednesday, the corporate leaders said they were more forceful behind the scenes.
Quincey said Coca-Cola has “always opposed” the legislation, and will speak out more publicly now. And Bastian wrote that the company worked quietly “to try and remove some of the most egregious measures from the bill.”