Pushback against restrictive voting measures gains momentum

The pushback against new voting bills and laws in numerous states is growing with dozens of nation's largest corporations and business leaders signing a new statement objecting to “any discriminatory legislation."

Signatories to the letter, published Wednesday in The New York Times, include Amazon, American Airlines, Bank of America, Google and Best Buy, as well as hundreds of business and civic leaders such as Warren Buffett and Michael Bloomberg.

“We all should feel a responsibility to defend the right to vote and oppose any discriminatory legislation or measures that restrict or prevent any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot," the letter reads.

Opposition to the new legislation has been picking up momentum and it's coming from sources that historically have steered clear of public statements related to politics.

Over the weekend more than a hundred top executives and corporate leaders gathered online to discuss their response to restrictive voting laws under consideration in several states and already enacted in Georgia. Media reports indicate the statement put out Wednesday was discussed during the weekend meeting. It comes after 72 Black executives signed a similar statement last month in the wake of changes to Georgia’s voting laws.

This week, the leaders of three-dozen major Michigan companies, including General Motors and Ford, objected to Republican-sponsored election bills that would make it harder to vote in Michigan and other states.

More than 350 different voting bills are under consideration in dozens of states, according to a tally from the Brennan Center for Justice, a public-policy think tank. On Tuesday Arkansas was among the latest to approve changes to its election laws, including restrictions on...