Is there any corporate voting rights responsibility? This question has emerged following the arguably anti-democratic law signed by Georgia’s Governor, Brian Kemp, last week, basically repealing voting rights for many citizens, notably those in black communities. Georgia is home to several big corporations such as Coca-Cola, Delta Airlines and Home Depot. These companies make donations to politicians and experts, therefore, argue that they cannot claim neutrality regarding this bill or voting rights more generally. Activists have used this expert opinion to call these corporations to weigh in on voting rights in Georgia and across the U.S. or else be held complicit and face boycotts. This interesting article published in Marketplace is by Marielle Segarra:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a bill into law that overhauls the state’s election rules. It expands early voting on weekends and creates a hotline where residents can report suspected voter fraud. It also restricts voting in a number of ways — for instance, shortening the window in which someone can request an absentee ballot and limiting the number of ballot drop boxes. Critics say the law will make it harder to vote, particularly for Black residents.

The new law also makes it illegal to hand out food and water to people waiting in line to vote.

“Well, who has to wait on long lines to vote in Georgia? Those are in Black neighborhoods. Every study has confirmed that,” said Michael Waldman, president of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law.

Read the full article here. Also, if you missed it, read DC author Steve Schneider’s take on Georgia’s new election law through this link.