Hundreds of companies, executives and celebrities are taking action against measures that could make it more difficult for people to vote. Corporations including Apple, Amazon, BlackRock, Google and Facebook, along with individuals including Warren Buffett and Leonardo DiCaprio, are among those who signed a statement opposing “any discriminatory legislation” that would restrict ballot access for Americans.
According to the New York Times, the statement was organized by a former CEO of AMEX and the current chief executive of Merck. “For American Democracy to work for any of us, we must ensure the right to vote for all of us,” it reads. The publication adds that the move is the biggest show of solidarity so far by the business community as companies around the country try to navigate the partisan uproar over Republican efforts to enact new election rules in almost every state.
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Yet the push to change election law continues. In Arkansas, legislators on Tuesday approved changes that would impose restrictions outside of polling places and on absentee ballots. Opponents say the change would disproportionately harm voters of color there. Standing up to all of this is a growing number of influential women over 50 who are pushing to protect voting rights.
“Morning Joe” co-host and Know Your Value founder Mika Brzezinski, Forbes’ Chief content officer Randall Lane and Know Your Value’s Daniela Pierre-Bravo highlighted the work by some of these women on Thursday’s show as part of the ongoing “50 Over 50” partnership with Forbes:
- Rep. Terri Sewell, 56: Democratic representative for Alabama’s 7th congressional district.
- Deborah Turner, 70: President of the League of Women Voters, holds a law degree and medical degree with a focus on gynecologic oncology.
- Lynn Forester de Rothschild, 66: Founding partner of E.L. Rothschild, a family office whose holdings include The Economist’s parent company. She’s also the founder of Inclusive Capital Partners and the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism.
- Phyllis Newhouse, 58: Founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Xtreme Solutions, as well as the CEO of Athena Technology Acquisition Corp.
To find out more about the “50 Over 50” partnership with Know Your Value and Forbes, click here.
To learn more about this list of women, visit Forbes.com.
KYV Editorial Staff