In 2022 and 2023, NLPC — a Coca-Cola investor — sponsored shareholder proposals that called for the roles of Chairman and CEO to be filled by two different executives, rather than a single person.
Since December 2016 Chairman and CEO James Quincey has led the company, and used its significant influence to amplify and bully on behalf of his personal political preferences. In a proxy memo filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, we highlighted several examples of his excesses and divisiveness, including his comments about the 2021 Georgia Election Integrity Act, which was passed into law: “The Coca-Cola Company does not support this legislation, as it makes it harder for people to vote, not easier.”
The allegation echoed Democrats’ demagoguery, in which they characterized the legislation as “Jim Crow 2.0.”
It was a lie, as the Peach State experienced extremely high voter turnout in the 2022 mid-terms, which NLPC’s Paul Chesser pointed out in his proposal presentation at Coca-Cola’s annual meeting last year. Now CNN reports that early voting in Georgia is off to a roaring start, despite complications from damage caused by Hurricane Helene:
A record number of early votes have been cast in Georgia on Tuesday as residents headed to the polls in a critical battleground state that is grappling with the fallout from Hurricane Helene and controversial election administration changes that have spurred a flurry of lawsuits.
More than 328,000 ballots were cast Tuesday, Gabe Sterling of the Georgia secretary of state’s office said on X. “So with the record breaking 1st day of early voting and accepted absentees we have had over 328,000 total votes cast so far,” he said.
The previous first day record was 136,000 in 2020, Sterling said…
Despite the massive turnout on Tuesday, the process appeared to go smoother this year for some Atlanta-area voters who spoke with CNN.
“Last time I voted, I voted in the city and the lines were out the door. They only had like, maybe like three people working,” said Corine Canada. “So people honestly just started leaving because it was like that. Yeah, like, ‘This is too long. I can’t sit here (and) wait, I have to go back to work.’ But here, no, it was easy.”
The trend will almost certainly continue considering the extremely high interest in this year’s election — all over the country, not just in Georgia. Quincey owes state citizens and lawmakers, and customers and shareholders, a public apology.
