Church leaders seek Home Depot boycott on Georgia voting law

ATLANTA (AP) — A group of religious leaders is calling for a boycott of Georgia-based Home Depot, saying the home improvement giant hasn't done enough to oppose the state's new voting laws.

African Methodist Episcopal Bishop Reginald Jackson said the company has remained “silent and indifferent” to his efforts to rally opposition to the new state law pushed by Republicans, as well as to similar efforts elsewhere.

“We just don't think we ought to let their indifference stand,” Jackson said.

The leader of all his denomination’s churches in Georgia, Jackson had a meeting last week with other Georgia-based executives to urge them to oppose the voting law, but said he’s had no contact with Home Depot, despite repeated efforts to reach the company.

Home Depot did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday. The company is the largest based in Georgia by revenue, profit and number of employees.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp called the boycott “absolutely ridiculous” on Twitter.

Opponents of the new law say it will restrict voting. It requires people to present proof of identification to request an absentee ballot, cuts the number of days for requesting an absentee ballot, shortens early voting before runoff elections, provides fewer drop boxes than allowed under emergency rules during the pandemic, allows the state to take over local election offices and bars people from handing out food and water to voters within 150 feet (45 meters) of a polling place.

Supporters say the bill was demanded by Republican voters alarmed by former President Donald Trump’s claims about fraud and makes absentee balloting more secure, provides a permanent legal basis for drop boxes and expands the number of mandatory weekend early voting days.

Jackson earlier trained his...