Donald Trump’s “big lie” following the 2020 presidential election has had many bad consequences, including an insurrection against the government of the United States that ended in the death of a Capitol Police officer. However, that lie has also opened the door to many other bad consequences, including Republican support for bills that restrict voting that will disproportionately shut out minority voters.
Coca-Cola, Home Depot come out in opposition to Georgia voting restrictions https://t.co/PFfRA1j86H
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) March 16, 2021
In Georgia, artists went straight to the big corporations who fund Republican politicians to get a response to new voter suppression laws in Georgia. Two of those corporations include Coca-Cola and Home Depot, both of which are based in Georgia and both of which have funded Republican politicians who have now introduced or backed these voter suppression bills. After pushing them to stand against those efforts, the two corporations issued statements opposing the bills.
According to The Washington Post:
‘On Friday, the advocates scored a win when the Georgia Chamber of Commerce issued a statement expressing “concern and opposition” to the measures under consideration in the legislature, which would end no-excuse absentee voting, limit early voting hours, restrict drop-boxes for mail ballots, and curtail early voting on Sundays.’
UPDATE: @CocaCola says they now OPPOSE the voter suppression bills in the Georgia legislature.
This is a big change from 24 hours ago, which is the last time I heard from themhttps://t.co/58Ql3X8CIA pic.twitter.com/9C7cwVmdvI
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 15, 2021
In a society whose politicians rely heavily on corporate support to win elections, consumer protest is one of the most important and useful activist strategies available to us. Activist groups are also pressuring Georgia companies Delta Airlines and UPS, among others, to stand against the bills, but have been met with more caution as the corporations fear losing Republican support. Coca-Cola and Home Depot initially approached the subject with more caution, as well, but have since struck a new note on the subject.
‘Representatives from Coca-Cola and Home Depot told The Washington Post that their companies are “aligned” with the Chamber’s comments. But the activists want the Chamber’s individual member companies to do more — and they say the state’s Black voters, who make up 30 percent of the state’s electorate and have billions in collective spending power, are watching.’
New roadside billboards in Atlanta are urging Coca-Cola, Home Depot and other Georgia-based corporations to oppose voting restrictions proposed by Republican state lawmakers https://t.co/gm3i1tvHkV
— CNN (@CNN) March 15, 2021
Voter suppression bills are popping up in red states, and particularly in red states that voted blue in 2021, all over the country. Since voter fraud has never, and is not now, an actual problem in the United States, there is only one other explanation for the expediency with which Republicans have approached these efforts to place more and more barriers on voting.
‘The Georgia bills, HB 531 and SB 241, are part of a nationwide GOP-led effort to restrict voting; more than 250 pieces of legislation with implications for tens of millions of voters have been proposed in 43 states, potentially ushering in the “most sweeping contraction of ballot access in the United States since the end of Reconstruction.”‘
1. Civil rights groups are pressuring corporations to oppose the Georgia legislature's voter suppression bills.
The 6 companies they are targeting are being cagey about their positions.
So I contacted each of them again.
Follow along if interested.https://t.co/p4tcvXRqs5
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) March 15, 2021
