Microsoft Shares Concerns About Georgia Voting Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Calling the legislation an “unfair” restriction on voters, Microsoft released a statement on Wednesday outlining its concerns with Georgia’s recently-enacted Senate Bill 202, a voter suppression law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R). Microsoft, which has recently made substantial investments in Atlanta and plans to develop a major company hub in the state, is one of many corporations with business interests in Georgia that is under pressure to make its opposition to the law heard.
In an official statement, Microsoft outlined three main points of concern with the legislation. First, it condemned the reduction of drop box locations — including in Fulton County, where most current Microsoft employees are located, which “likely will see an 80 percent reduction in drop boxes, from 40 during the 2020 election to only about eight moving forward.” It also called out the new shortened absentee ballot return timeline, as well as restrictions on provisional ballots legally cast at a precinct different from the voter’s residence. Microsoft pointed out that for busy people like its employees, who may need to take last-minute work-related trips or may have difficulty finding time to vote, these provisions would make the whole ballot return process much more difficult.