Monday 3/8: “This is a democracy issue!” Call out corporations who fund voter suppression.

Quote from this LaTosha Brown. Update: The Georgia state Senate just voted along party lines on Monday to REPEAL no-excuse absentee voting after the state sent to Democrats to the Senate and voted for a Democratic presidential nominee for the first time in decades. All because 35 people out of 4,935,487 (or .0007% of the total) wrongly voted during the 2020 election. The bill would need to pass before March 31

Action: Write/email to these corporations – contact information below. Here are some points you can use.

You can write your own comment customized per company and/or use this sign-on form from the New Georgia Project here to send a message to eleven corporate heads. Mix it up a bit so your own voice comes through. You can add personal experiences of discrimination you’ve seen or been the subject of, as well.

  • I was sorry to learn that [Corporation’s name] has been provided funding for the Georgia politicians behind HB531 and SB241, two extremely racist and anti-democratic voter suppression bills, publicly described by Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, as “Dripping in the blood of Jim Crow“.
  • These bills are supporting harmful solutions for which there was no provable problem. In fact, according to according to the CISA (Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency), that despite the difficulties posed by the pandemic, the 2020 election was one of the MOST SECURE IN OUR HISTORY!
  • Unless your mission statement or company motto specifically encourages deliberate disenfranchisement of Black and Brown American citizens, [Corporation’s name]’s funding of agents of voter suppression via these bills in Georgia and anywhere else, we expect you to do better. Your funding actions, not your publicity campaigns, are a factor in my future choice of [products to buy, services], along with public boycotts.
  • Racist bills don’t write themselves. Stop supporting from ALL elected officials (in Georgia, other state legislatures and US Congress) seeking to pass voter suppression and/or blocking voting rights bills.) These bills are easy to find using the Brennan Center’s updating list. (https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-bills-tracker-2021)
  • Instead of your corporation publicly participating in systemic racism, please consider investing that money in efforts that expand voting rights instead, such as Stacy Abrams’ Fair Fight, or as people are suffering from economic hardship from the pandemic, local food banks and community groups.
  • Hold every level of the Chamber of Commerce accountable to these principles as well. We will assume all members are equally culpable when the Chamber supports legislators who create voter suppression legislation, act in seditious ways, or encourage environmental racism which affect minority communities the hardest.
  • I am also calling on you to publicly oppose these anti-voting bills and protect the vote for your {Georgia} employees and customers.
  • Please, publicly join us in supporting efforts to expand the immediate passage of federal HR1-For the People Act and HR4- The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

More information you can use.

  • (Popular.Info) The Georgia legislators pushing voter suppression bills are backed by millions in corporate cash. “…since 2018, corporations have donated $7.4 million to the sponsors of the Georgia legislation to restrict voting rights. A significant portion of this money comes from prominent national corporations that publicly profess their support for voting rights.“
  • Our country should actually be proud of itself for running an almost perfect election in the middle of a historic pandemic. According to the Brennan Center, “By all measures, the 2020 general election was one of the most secure elections in our history. Voters turned out in record numbers to cast their ballots by mail and in person, and the votes were counted in a timely manner.” Trump administration official Chris Krebs, the head of CISA, agreed: “TLDR: America, we have confidence in the security of your vote, you should, too.” The NY Times interviewed election officials across the nation, from both parties, and they reported no evidence of voter fraud. Mail-in voting, which Oregon has used exclusively for the last two decades, was able to prove it’s historic low incidence of fraudulence on a national scale. Our country was even complimented – the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said the US elections were “well managed.”
  • And it wasn’t like cheating was endemic in America before this last election. “NYU’s Brennan Center for Justice did a study in 2007 that found the incidence of voter fraud to be between 0.0003 percent and 0.0025 percent, which made it more likely that an American would be struck by lighting than “he will impersonate another voter at the polls.” A Washington Post report in December 2016 found just four cases of voter fraud in that year’s election.” Trump’s own Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity died after only eight months from lack of facts and, well, integrity. For the last election, out of 4,935,487 votes cast in Georgia, the State Election Board has referred only 35 cases, or .0007% of the total, for prosecution, of which most look like simple confusion as to eligibility.
  • The facts are easy to find, so legislation to increase election “integrity” can safely be labeled “voter suppression.” The Brennan Center has an updating list of bills with provisions that restrict voting access in 43 states, including 2 bills in CA! It has never been easier for corporations to learn if a particular politician is backing suppressive legislation than right now.
  • The Chamber of Congress is NOT excused. The Chamber of Commerce, like the corporations it lobbies for, can find these facts and we expect the to. Right now, they’re trying to chisel out room between legislators who tried to overthrow an election from within the Senate, and those who continue to do so through social media. Ashlee Rich Stephenson, Chamber senior political strategist and defacto apologist stated “For example, casting a vote is different than organizing the rally of January 6 or continuing to push debunked conspiracy theories. We will take into consideration actions such as these and future conduct that erodes our democratic institutions.” However, they’ve refused to state which lawmakers will lose their support, if any. We also hold the Chamber responsible for their fierce lobbying efforts to overturn 100 environmental protections, the results of which disparately affect minority communities. Unlike Ms. Stephenson, we refuse to find differences between the systemic racism of the Chamber and the coroporations it serves.

The worst of the worst Georgia bills, and their supporters.

The companies, a partial list.

According to the great video below featuring activist LaTosha Brown, corporations that depend on Black spending in the Georgia area, but are funding the legislators behind these terrible bills. She tweeted “Black people spend $106+ Billion in the Georgia economy. We expect the businesses that we support to SUPPORT us and fight against racist policies that undermine voting rights. We don’t need statements @CocaCola @Delta @SouthernCompany. We need ACTION! STOP VOTER SUPPRESSION!”
More companies here. All corporate contact information publicly available and listed on Elliott Advocacy.

AFLAC

Contributed $7,250 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241: “Insurance company Aflac, which is based in Columbus, GA, has donated $7,250 to eight co-sponsors of the House and Senate bills since 2018. In September, Aflac published a video encouraging employees to make a plan to vote. Following the January 6 riots, the company announced that it was pausing all political donations to “reassess our approach.” The company did not respond to Popular Information’s request for comment regarding the Georgia legislation.“

  • Executives:
    • Daniel P. Amos – Chairman and Chief Executive Officer: damos@aflac.com
    • Teresa White – President, Aflac U.S.: twhite@aflac.com
    • Virgil Miller – President of Aflac Group Insurance & Executive Vice President-Chief Operating Officer of Aflac U.S.: vmiller@aflac.com
    • Jamie A. Lee – Senior Vice President & Chief Service Officer: jlee@aflac.com
  • cscmail@aflac.com
  • Main: (706) 323-3431, Customer Service: (800) 992-3522
  • Aflac Worldwide Headquarters, 1932 Wynnton Road, Columbus, Georgia 31999

AT&T

Contributed $99,700 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241: “One of the largest contributors to the sponsors of House Bill 315 and Senate Bill 241 is AT&T. According to state election campaign filings, AT&T has donated at least $99,700 to the group since 2018. AT&T is one of the companies to halt donations to the 147 lawmakers who opposed Biden’s certification. The company did not respond to a request for comment.”

AT&T said its PAC board decided to suspend contributions to members that voted against certifying the 2020 election results. We appreciate that’s all after the damage has been done. We expect you to do more.

  • Executives:
  • (210) 821-4105 
  • 208 S. Akard Street, Dallas, TX 75202

COCA-COLA

Contributed $34,750 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241: Despite a pro-voting ad campaign that specifically encouraged Black voters, Coca-Cola has supported the cosponsor of SB 241: Georgia Senator Brandon Beach, who also signed  onto a brief submitted to the Supreme Court that argued that all votes in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin should be thrown out, as well as lawsuit over certification of presidential election results.

(Popular.info) In total, Coca-Cola has donated to 29 co-sponsors of the two bills to restrict voting. In response to an inquiry from Popular Information, Coca-Cola said that it had paused all political giving after the January 6 attack on the Capitol and “that pause continues.” The company did not rule out supporting Beach or other co-sponsors of legislation to restrict voting in Georgia in the future. Popular Information also asked Coca-Cola if it supported House Bill 531 and Senate Bill 241. In a statement, the company declined to take a position for or against the legislation, instead saying it supports a “balanced approach.”

What, are they balancing their history of corporate racism with new racial equity patter? Coca-Cola now specifically states “Racial Equity at our Company and in our Communities – There is no place in our world for racism. We believe we have a duty to strive for greater justice and equity within our own company and throughout society. After extensive reflection, we recognize there is more we must do. The Coca-Cola Company has developed plans to help create a world that we know should already exist. It’s a beginning, and we won’t do it alone, but Together We Must build a better future.” 

Explain that “balanced approach” again to us, please, when describing legislators and their bill that specifically target the Black community.

COMCAST

“Comcast is suspending contributions to lawmakers who voted against the election results, saying that the violence at the U.S. Capitol last week was “appalling.”  Well, do more, Comcast. Stop funding Jim Crow legislators.

Contributed $40,200 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241:

CVS HEALTH

Contributed $43,300 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241:

  • Executives:
  • Main: (401) 765-1500, Toll Free: (800) 746-7287
  • Customer Support Center, One CVS Drive, Woonsocket, RI 02895

DELTA

Contributed $41,600 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241:

Like Coca-Cola, Delta participated in voting rights campaigns, including free voter registration on its flights, encouraging employees to volunteer as poll workers, and teamed up with other companies to promote early, in-person voting. “Georgia-based Delta Air Lines has donated at least $41,600 to the 22 sponsors of the bills since 2018, including $2,500 to Georgia Senator Matt Brass (R). In November 2020, Senator Brass issued a statement asserting “crooks” had “compromised” the 2020 election. Brass also falsely claimed that Georgia’s “laws were being violated in multiple counties” to change the outcome of the election. “10,000 dead people voted,” Brass insisted, without evidence. Delta has also donated $3,800 to Georgia Senator Brandon Beach.“

HOME DEPOT

Contributed $34,000 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241 Home Depot touted elections that were “accessible, fair and secure.”

  • Executives:
  • Main: (800) 466-3337 Customer Service: (800) 466-3337
  • 2455 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30339-1834

SOUTHERN COMPANY

Contributed $38,700 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241:”Southern Company, a large energy company based in Georgia, has donated $38,700 to 17 Georgia state legislators who co-sponsored the bills restricting voting. This includes $2,000 to Senator Burt Jones who repeatedly pushed unfounded claims of election fraud. Jones, who supported the Texas lawsuit to throw out election results in Georgia and three other states, also co-wrote a letter to former Vice President Mike Pence asking him to delay the certification of Biden for 12 days “to allow for further investigation of fraud, irregularities, and misconduct” in Georgia’s election.“

(Information from ceoemail.com)

  • Executives:
    • Kimberly Scheibe Greene – COO
  • Phone Number: (404) 506-5000 
  • Southern Company, 30 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA  30308

UPS

Contributed $34,500 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241: “UPS, another Georgia-based company, has also contributed significantly to the sponsors of House Bill 531 and Senate Bill 241. Since 2018, the company has donated $34,500 to 26 co-sponsors of the two bills. This includes $1,000 to Senator Beach and $1,000 to Senator Jones. UPS, which has indefinitely “suspended all PAC contributions” following the Capitol insurrection, did not respond to a request for comment.“

  • Executives:
  • 404-828-6000
  • UPS World Headquarters, 55 Glenlake Parkway NE, Atlanta, GA 30328

WALMART

Contributed $7,250 to co-sponsors of HB 531 & SB 241: The company is “indefinitely suspending contributions to those members of Congress who voted against the lawful certification of state electoral college votes,” according to a statement. That’s great. We expect you to do more.

  • (LATimes) House passes landmark election bill as parties war over voting rights
  • (Popular.info) The Georgia legislators pushing voter suppression bills are backed by millions in corporate cash

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