Why Making Voting More Difficult Should Matter to CEOs

Regardless of your political proclivity, as CEOs, the notion of making it more difficult to exercise the most fundamental human right of a democratic society (the right to vote) and changing the governance over the Board of Elections in favor of the presiding governing party should make you very nervous.

In Georgia, State Senate Bill 202 which amends Chapter 2 Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Amended, lays out multiple additional restrictions that make it more difficult for particular populations (those who typically vote Democratic and Black voters) to vote. It also reduces the Secretary of State's power to a non-voting member of the Board of Elections Committee.  Both of these changes and many more are a response to the 2018 and 2020 elections and the subsequent runoff elections of two US Senate seats despite the lack of evidence of fraudulent votes and numerous state led recounts and judicial reviews.    

Since the passing of SB 202, a plethora of CEOs and multiple lucrative sporting events have voiced their distaste for this legislative direction.  Coca Cola, UPS, Microsoft, Apple, Delta, Merk, Porsche, Bank of America, Home Depot, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, American Express, Facebook and ViacomCBS have all expressed their concern over limiting access to voting.  Major League Baseball has removed their seminal All Star Game event 2021 (worth 100MM) with more professional sporting events actively considering removing their contribution to the Georgia economy in protest to this blatant attempt to disenfranchise particular populations.  

We know when financial pressure is applied to legislatures who have restricted rights or singled out populations disproportionately, it has a profound effect.  After North Carolina passed the ‘bathroom bill’ restricting access to public restrooms for transgender people, it subsequently experienced heavy economic withdrawal in protest (a 3.67B impact). The state rescinded the bill in hopes of attracting those businesses and events back to the state.  The notion of making it more difficult to vote disenfranchises scores of economic consumers (particularly people of color) Georgia needs to expand their growth and stabilize their economic goals. 

According to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts’ expectations, government debt to GDP in Georgia is expected to be 62.4 percent by the end of 2021.  Georgia’s economic health cannot withstand this partisan and divisive legislation.  As CEOs, we need to encourage and drive pressure on legislative bodies to not limit but to expand voter access to a 21st Century voting experience. This includes maximum flexibility (e.g. mail-in voting and alternative collection vehicles as well as early and weekend voting), technology secured processes and increased participation across the political spectrum. This is what consumers want.

Since the election of 2020, 43 state legislatures have proposed changes to the way people can cast their vote often making it more difficult to do so.  Each state will need to feel the economic pressure that CEOs and their Boards can provide for voter rights to be preserved.  The values of you and your organization are at stake.  What message are you sending to your employees, competitors and the consumers you serve if you stay on the sidelines or decide not weigh-in?  Those organizations and senior executives who stand up to support the democratic values that your company was built upon will be rewarded with loyalty and healthy economic returns.  Those that don’t will be penalized by the very consumers that built their success.  Voting doesn’t just happen at the ballot-box, it happens across consumer spending and history will predict the outcome.

The decision to restrict peoples’ rights to vote will be devastating to the economies in states which choose partisan politics over democratic values.  We know this from history.  CEOs must find the courage to voice their distaste for voter suppression and racial gerrymandering while holding legislatures accountable to protect the rights of those consumers contributing to their organization's bottom line.

Joe Tria, CEO, Indelible Talent

joe@indelibletalent.com www.indelibletalent.com