Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank was critical of a new law that imposes restrictions on voting in Georgia, saying Tuesday that the state should “make voting easier, not harder for every eligible citizen.”
The law, S.B. 202, will shorten periods to request absentee ballots, make it a crime to give food and water to people in line to vote and shorten the time between general and run-off elections to 28 days, among other restrictions.
Blank pledged that his group, Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE), will continue supporting efforts to improve voter access in the state.
“Every voice and every vote matters and should be heard through our democratic process in Georgia,” Blank said in a statement released by the team. “The right to vote is simply sacred. We should be working to make voting easier, not harder for every eligible citizen.
“To that end, AMBSE leadership, along with our nonprofit partners, conveyed that ideal directly to state officials in recent weeks. Our businesses and family foundation will continue to actively support efforts that advance voting access for the citizens of Georgia and across the nation.”
The American Civil Liberties Union, Southern Poverty Law Center and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund said Tuesday they will be suing the state of Georgia in federal court. In a news release, the ACLU said S.B. 202 “makes it much harder for all Georgians to vote, particularly voters of color, new citizens, and religious communities.”
Georgia was considered a key state in the 2020 Presidential election and had two run-off elections for the Senate, both won by Democrats. During the last election, Falcons players were outspoken on promoting voter registration and participation.