Coca-Cola and Home Depot voice opposition to Georgia voting restrictions
Demonstrators protest in opposition of House Bill 531, which would curtail voting access, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo: Megan Varner via Getty Images
Coca-Cola and Home Depot, two major corporations based in Georgia, expressed opposition to the state's push to restrict voting, the Washington Post reported Monday.
Why it matters: After the GOP lost in Georgia's Senate runoffs, Republican lawmakers moved quickly to introduce legislation that would make it harder to vote, baselessly citing voter fraud.
- Civil liberties groups have pushed corporations based in Georgia to oppose the effort, which critics say would severely impact Black voters.
The state of play: After the Georgia Chamber of Commerce issued a statement Friday that emphasized its support of "accessible and secure voting while upholding election integrity and transparency," representatives from Coca-Cola and Home Depot told the Post the companies are "aligned" with the comments.
- Activists are pushing the companies to do more, however, noting that Black voters make up 30% of the state's electorate and consumer base.
- Other companies have neither endorsed nor opposed any provisions.
What they're saying: "These corporations talk a big game about racial justice," Chris Baumann, vice president of Service Employees International Union, said in a statement to WashPost.
- "But if the companies that profit from Black and brown people claim they back all Georgians, then they have to show up now when it counts."
Go deeper: Jimmy Carter "saddened and angry" by Georgia bill