In a letter signed on Wednesday, more than 150 firms, including Apple Inc, Best Buy Co Inc, and PepsiCo, encouraged US politicians to present and approve a voting reform bill, while earlier initiatives in Congress have stagnated.
The businesses urged legislators to resubmit the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, a 1965 amendment named for the late U.S. Representative John Lewis, who died over a year ago. The bill will help to minimize voter discrimination and establish a better method for states to report changes in election laws.
In a prepared statement, Chip Bergh, CEO of Levi Strauss & Co, stated, “We have a duty to work until every eligible voter in this nation has fair, equitable, and safe access to voting, but that won’t happen unless every eligible voter in this country has fair, equitable, and safe access to voting.”
Business for Voting Rights, a collection of corporate executives, is behind the firms.
The corporations said in the letter, “The business community is proud of our involvement in encouraging our employees, customers, and communities to use their right to vote and have a say in our government.”
U.S. companies have spoken up in support of voting rights reforms and against restrictions on voting that have passed in Republican-controlled states including Georgia. Some companies have come under fire from elected officials for their positions.
Former President Donald Trump and his supporters made unfounded claims that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Democrats are expected to reintroduce the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, Reuters has reported.
Another sweeping voting reform act, the For the People Act, has languished in Congress. President Joe Biden said in Philadelphia on Tuesday that act must be passed, but did not outline a path for it to overcome Republican opposition.