Former President Barack Obama praised Major League Baseball for its decision to move the All-Star Game out of Georgia following the signing of an election reform omnibus bill.
The former president commended the league for “taking a stand on behalf of voting rights for all citizens” Saturday morning, a day after the league announced it would be finding a place to hold the 2021 all-star festivities. The decision has been praised by those who want to see corporations take a stand on the issue of election reform, while detractors have argued that the contents of the bill have been unfairly maligned publicly.
“There’s no better way for America’s pastime to honor the great Hank Aaron, who always led by example,” Obama added, referencing Atlanta Braves legend Hank Aaron, who died in January at the age of 86.
MLB TO MOVE ALL-STAR GAME AND DRAFT OUT OF GEORGIA IN VOTING LAW PROTEST
The bill, which Gov. Brian Kemp signed March 25, will make numerous changes to the way elections work in the state, including the timing of runoff elections and the requirements for obtaining an absentee ballot. It would also give state officials the authority to take over local election boards, and it would make it a crime for anyone other than election workers to approach voters in line to give them food and water.
The law also codified the use of drop boxes, which had only been approved as a coronavirus solution in 2020, but they will be placed in early-voting locations and can only be accessed during the business hours of the voting precinct.
“I mean, really unfortunate today, obviously — the Major League Baseball has folded up and cave to the canceled culture and a bunch of liberal lies, quite honestly. And what’s even more sad is the president of the United States, Joe Biden, and people like Stacey Abrams labeling the Election Integrity Act Jim Crow,” Kemp said Friday.
Liberal activists have urged Georgia-based companies, such as Delta and Coca-Cola, to take a stand against the Republican-led legislature’s election bill, and many corporations, including Apple, Delta, and Coca-Cola, have released statements in disapproval of the law.
Former President Donald Trump has also weighed in on MLB’s decision, and he called for his supporters to boycott baseball.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Election reform has become a dominant issue in both state and federal legislatures across the country. Both parties are calling for election changes, albeit very different ones.
Republicans have adopted the mantra to “make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” which means strengthening voter identification laws and promoting in-person, same-day voting.
Democrats have often called for automatic voter registration and they want to limit voter identification requirements. Their conservative counterparts are trying to stifle turnout by making it more difficult and confusing for voters, they argue.
