Georgia faith leaders urge boycott of Home Depot over voting law

Black faith leaders representing more than 1,000 churches are issuing a call Tuesday to boycott of Home Depot over what they consider the company's lack of opposition to recently passed voting laws in Georgia.

Bishop Reginald T. Jackson, who oversees 534 churches in the state, is leading the boycott. 

Republican lawmakers in Georgia last month drafted, passed and enacted a law to further secure the state's voting system. Critics of the law, which includes an ID requirement for absentee ballots, say it restricts voting, particularly for minorities.

"We don’t believe this is simply a political matter," Jackson said, according to The New York Times. "This is a matter that deals with securing the future of this democracy, and the greatest right in this democracy is the right to vote."

Jackson said Home Depot has "demonstrated an indifference, a lack of response to the call, not only from clergy, but a call from other groups to speak out in opposition to this legislation."

Home Depot's headquarters is in Georgia. The company has not publicly commented on the law.

"The most appropriate approach for us to take is to continue to underscore our belief that all elections should be accessible, fair and secure," Home Depot said in a statement after the election law was passed.

Jackson called for four actions Home Depot must take to avoid their boycott: speak out against Georgia's voting law, publicly oppose the law, offer support for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act in Congress and back litigation against the Georgia law.