Two hundred corporations issued a joint statement opposing election integrity legislation similar to Georgia’s recently passed voter ID law, while many require identification to use their services.
The signed letter includes PayPal, Major League Baseball (MLB), United Airlines, Microsoft, Uber, and Cisco, who called on “elected leaders in every state capitol and in Congress to work across the aisle and ensure that every eligible American has the freedom to easily cast their ballot and participate fully in our democracy.”
“There are hundreds of bills threatening to make voting more difficult in dozens of states nationwide,” the statement added, referencing Georgia’s passed integrity law that limits the number and location of drop boxes, reforms voter ID requirements, and modernizes the state’s voter rolls.
Like the State of Georgia’s voter ID requirement, PayPal, MLB, United Airlines, and Uber also require identification to use their services. PayPal, for example, requires an ID to confirm their customers’ identity, and United Airlines demands an ID to book a flight. Uber also conducts an ID check before individuals may participate in their ride-sharing platform, while the MLB asks for ID at will call ticket windows.
The letter from the 200 companies comes after MLB decided to remove their All-Star Game from Atlanta, Georgia, over their voter ID law after President Joe Biden said he would “support” such a move. “I think today’s professional athletes are acting incredibly responsibly. I would strongly support them doing that,” he said.
Critics, such as Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), have called MLB’s relocation efforts “woke.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki addressed MLB’s decision Monday by conveying, “private sector entities are going to make decisions. And that’s their role to do so.”
She also said Biden would continue to spend his time making it “easier and not harder to vote.” The Biden administration has not spoken to the requirement of showing identification to obtain food stamps, welfare, Medicaid/Social Security, unemployment benefits, marriage certificates, hotel accommodations, casino chips, and prescription drugs.