Leaders of GM, Ford among opponents of Michigan voting restrictions

Apr. 13—LANSING — General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. are among the leaders of three-dozen major Michigan-based companies that voiced their opposition Tuesday to Republican-sponsored election bills that would make it harder to vote in Michigan and other states.

In a joint statement, the businesses said they are united for principles such as equitable access to the ballot and the avoidance of moves that reduce voting — particularly among historically disenfranchised communities.

The Republican-controlled state Senate is expected to soon begin hearings on wide-ranging legislation that would require a photo ID to vote in person, prohibit the unsolicited statewide mass mailing of absentee ballot applications and restrict the hours in which people could drop their ballot in curbside boxes. Voters applying for an absentee ballot — an increasingly popular choice under a 2018 constitutional amendment and during the coronavirus pandemic — would have to attach a copy of their ID.

Senate Republicans contend that their new bills would ensure integrity and "restore trust" in the voting process.

Corporate leaders also have criticized a new election law in Georgia and bills in Texas.

"Government must support equitable access to the ballot to ensure that all eligible voters can exercise their rights," the statement said. "Government must avoid actions that reduce participation in elections — particularly among historically disenfranchised communities, persons with disabilities, older adults, racial minorities and low-income voters."

The statement was signed by GM CEO Mary Barra, Ford CEO Jim Farley, executives from all four Detroit professional sports teams and the leaders of auto suppliers, banks and other businesses. Other signatories include leaders of the Detroit Regional Chamber, Rocket Cos., Ilitch Holdings Inc., Henry Ford Health System, TCF Bank, Huntington Bancshares, DTE Energy, Barton Malow, and Stellantis NV, among others. They said election laws must be developed in bipartisan fashion.

Farley, in comments to Ford employees last week and shared in a statement to The Detroit News Tuesday, highlighted the Dearborn automaker's policy of making federal election days company holidays to make it easier for employees to vote.

"Ford believes that equitable access to voting rights for all people is the bedrock of a democratic society," he said. "We're also aware that the right to vote in a free and fair election has been hard won in our nation, particularly for groups that have been historically disenfranchised. That's why we support initiatives that promote equitable access and do not disproportionately affect any segment of the population."

Ford, he said, "urges elected officials across the country to work together in a bipartisan way to protect and enhance the right to vote."

Barra addressed the issue in a LinkedIn post last week in which she noted that the Detroit automaker provides paid time off for voting and has encouraged its employees to volunteer at the polls.

"Over the course of our nation's history," she wrote, "the right to vote was hard fought for so many Americans, particularly women and people of color."

GM is "calling on state lawmakers across the nation to work together in a bipartisan way to ensure that any changes to voting laws preserve and enhance the most precious element of democracy — the right to vote in a fair, free, and equitable manner," she said. "Anything short of that is unacceptable."

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, said Tuesday that the bills guaranteed every vote is "handled and counted the same," a "perfunctory step to equitable access."

"This package's move through the legislative process has only just begun and I look forward to seeking the input of my colleagues across the aisle and all who have engaged in this process," Shirkey said in a statement. "At all times we must use logic, not political sentiment or 'wokeness,' to build good public policy that will serve all Michiganders and safeguard our democracy.

"If having an ID is viewed as an obstacle to voting because there is a problem getting an ID, let's solve that problem," he added.

Republicans have said changes are needed to ensure election integrity following a surge in absentee voting in 2020. More than 5.5 million people voted in Michigan's presidential election — the most ever and the highest percentage of voting-age residents to cast a ballot in 60 years.

Some in the GOP have falsely claimed the presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump despite his 154,000-vote, or 2.8-percentage-point, loss to Joe Biden in the battleground state.

Several bills would be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer if they reach her desk. But the state Republican Party has said it plans a maneuver that would enable the Legislature to pass them into law anyway if enough voter signatures are gathered for a ballot initiative.

The response from Michigan's corporate community is just the latest outcry surrounding Republican-led proposals for more restrictive voting laws in states across the country. The backlash has been particularly strong in Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp signed a law that, among other provisions, makes it illegal to provide food or drinks to people waiting in line to vote, and that beefs up identification requirements for absentee voting.

Passage of the Georgia law has prompted protests, including the pullout of an Apple Inc. movie starring Will Smith from the state and Major League Baseball moving the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta to Denver.

And across the country, the issue has pitted Republicans against corporate leaders who increasingly are speaking up in support of equitable access to voting. The Wall Street Journal reported, for example, that dozens of CEOs and other leaders from major companies convened a virtual meeting over the weekend to discuss how best to address the issue.

Detroit News Staff Writers Jordyn Grzelewski and Beth LeBlanc contributed.