The Masters tournament at Augusta National is a tradition like no other and only two weeks away. But like other organizations, Augusta National is in the middle of a political firestorm.
The National Black Justice Coalition urges PGA officials not to host the tournament in Georgia and urges players to boycott under Georgia’s new electoral laws.
“The PGA Tour and Masters tournament are both committed to helping diversify the sport of golf and eradicating racial inequalities in the country. We expect them not only to speak out against Georgia’s new law to suppress racist voters, but also to take action “said NBJC Executive Director David J. Johns.
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It’s not the only call to major events and corporations to withdraw from Peach State. The executive director of the MLB Players Association said he was looking forward to discussions surrounding the Atlanta Braves, which will host the All-Star game in July.
“The players are well aware of Georgia’s electoral law, which puts restrictions on voting that some believe will make it particularly difficult for black voters to vote,” Tony Clark told the Boston Globe. “We have not yet had a discussion with the league on the subject of the All-Star game. If the opportunity presents itself, we would look forward to this conversation. “
Channel 2’s Michael Seiden reached out to The Braves and Augusta National but received no response from either by Sunday night.
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Several protests have taken place in the past few days after Governor Brian Kemp signed the controversial bill to vote on Thursday.
The new law extends early voting, but requires photo ID to vote absent in the mail. It also cuts the time it takes people to request a postal vote and limits where ballot boxes can be placed and when they can be accessed.
The law gives the state greater power and influence over electoral bodies that oversee the county elections and criminalizes the distribution of food and water on voting lines.
Kemp, along with other Republican supporters, said the new law aims to prevent election fraud and is necessary to restore voter confidence.
However, opponents said it was all about voter suppression against black and poor communities. The law is already facing judicial contestation by several voting groups.
Seiden turned to several companies based in Metro Atlanta.
“We believe that all elections should be accessible, fair, and safe, and encourage broad turnout. We will continue to work to ensure that our employees, both in Georgia and across the country, have the information and resources to vote. For example, we encouraged voters to participate in the last election through our internal Get Out The Vote initiative and confirmed 15,500 voter registrations among our employees. Additionally, we have brought together more than 1,800 employees with local opportunities to volunteer at polling stations across the country, including 600 volunteer technicians in Atlanta to assist with complex technology issues and cybersecurity related to the election. We also donated 9,200 plexiglass partitions across Georgia to help meet polling station security requirements, ”The Home Depot said in a statement.
Delta Air Lines also sent Channel 2 a statement.
“Delta believes that unrestricted and equal access to voting is a fundamental right for all citizens. Over the past few weeks, Delta has worked extensively with elected officials from both parties to express our firm belief that Georgia must have a fair and secure electoral process, with broad voter turnout and equal access to elections. The law signed this week has improved significantly during the legislative process, adding to the weekend voting, codifying Sunday voting, and protecting a voter’s ability to vote by post for no reason. For the first time, Dropboxing has also been approved for all counties across the state, and poll workers are allowed to work across counties. However, we understand that there are still concerns about other provisions in the legislation, and these important efforts will continue. We pledge to continue listening to our people and communities, and to work with leaders from both parties to ensure that every eligible employee and every Georgian voter can exercise their right to vote. “
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