Dollars vs. democracy scorecard

Over the last year, hundreds of companies have made halfhearted attempts to appear socially conscious by releasing statements in support of voting rights and the Movement for Black Lives. In an effort to disguise themselves as “good corporate citizens” by embodying the progressive values of their customer base, corporations are hoping that no one will bother taking an inventory of their actions.

In reality, many of these companies are spending a combined millions of dollars on extremist legislators pushing anti-voting and anti-protest bills.  All of this adds up to a clear takeaway: corporations are complicit when the lawmakers they give campaign contributions to, use tactics to squash protests and disenfranchise voters to silence Black, Brown, and Indigenous people

Our democracy is at a tipping point: If we pass the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act we could, together, safeguard and strengthen our democracy. If we don’t, it might be impossible to transition away from fossil fuels and fight off attacks against protest and our freedom to vote, so that we can have a planet our communities can thrive on. Everyone should have an equal say in the decisions that shape our future. It’s time that these corporations put their money where their mouth is in support of our freedom to vote and protest.

Methodology

The  Dollars vs. Democracy scorecard reflects the actions (and inactions) that companies have taken to protect our democracy, as recommended in our recent report, Dollars vs. Democracy.

What companies are we ranking?

In Dollars vs. Democracy, we scrutinized the actions taken by hundreds of companies and recommended steps they can take in support of voting rights and our democracy. We wrote to the companies that made the largest contributions to lawmakers that sponsored anti-voter and anti-protest legislation, to ensure they saw the report and the recommendations. We also took a close look at what these companies have done to support voting rights. Then, we scored them, to see which companies stand out as defenders of democracy, and which companies flunked our democracy. 

All of the companies who have responded to our letters, so far, and recommendations are included in the scorecard. We have also included a representative sample of other companies, including those who contributed the most to lawmakers that sponsored the anti-voter bills examined, as well as prominent members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has lobbied aggressively against the For The People Act. We will continuously update the scorecard, as more responses come in. 

How did we determine each company’s grade?

To determine each company’s ranking, Greenpeace reviewed the record, public statements, and responses to a letter of hundreds of companies. The Dollars vs. Democracy scorecard reflects the specific actions (and inactions) that companies have taken for our democracy at a time when it’s under attack. 

1. Have they taken action to endorse the For the People Act (S. 1), such as signing the “Corporate America for Democracy” pledge?
2. Have they expressed their support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4) by, for example, signing the Business Letter to Congress?
3. Have they publicly declare their difference with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to the For The People Act (H.R. 1/ S. 1)
4. Have the companies responded to our letter or taken any other significant actions in defense of voting rights?

*In addition to the companies listed in the scorecard, other companies that received our letter but have not yet responded are listed in this spreadsheet.*

Dollars vs. democracy and YOU!

This is where you come in. Some of the highest campaign contributors to the lawmakers introducing these dangerous bills are the telecommunications companies you are likely giving your hard-earned cash to, month after month: AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast (read our blog about it here). 

Nationally, there is real momentum for passing  For the People Act (H.R.1/S.1) and Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R.4) this year. Telecom giants like these companies can influence our elected officials to do better! That’s why we are pressuring corporations to take a public stand in support of these bills to help encourage Congress to vote for them.

Demand AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon stop funding politicians who sponsor legislation designed to disenfranchise voting and silence protest, and instead support solutions for our democracy!

Sign now

Which companies haven’t responded?

Greenpeace has sent letters to the following companies. We eagerly await their response—and we hope they will take action to strengthen our democracy, rather than supporting lawmakers who seek to undermine our right to protest and vote.

*Greenpeace is always committed to continuing the conversation, and we invite any companies that have either not responded to us, or would like to update their response, to reach out to [email protected]