In response to inquiries from Popular Information, two major corporations said they opposed the 22 bills introduced in the Arizona legislature to restrict voting.  Over the last three years, Union Pacific donated $13,000 to 20 Arizona legislators that have sponsored bills to restrict voting. In a statement, Union Pacific said it “does not support these bills.” Union Pacific has also suspended all political giving in the state. “Recent events have made us pause contributions and evaluate future contributions overall, including in Arizona,” the company said. 

Prudential Financial told Popular Information that “it believes in ensuring Americans have equal access to the right to vote, and we do not support this legislation.” Since 2018, Prudential Financial has donated $12,950 to eight Arizona legislators currently sponsoring legislation to restrict voting. Prudential Financial has “suspended all contributions to candidates from its PACs” since the January riot at the Capitol. 

Other corporate donors, however, are staying quiet — including those that claim to champion voting rights. Cox Communications (Cox), for example, touts its commitment to “voting rights and justice for all” on its corporate website. In the run-up to the 2020 election, Cox partnered with Rock The Vote and Vote Safe 2020 to encourage people to exercise their voting rights. “[P]atriotism and civic duty is in our DNA,” the company said in a tweet, “It’s our belief to do the right thing, always.”

Since 2018, Cox has donated $31,550 to Gowan and 24 other sponsors of voter suppression legislation in Arizona.  Gowan and seven other bill sponsors supported by Cox attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election based on Trump’s false claims of voter fraud. They signed onto a “resolution urging Congress not to accept Arizona’s legally cast electoral votes for Biden” and instead accept a slate of 11 fake electors pledged to Trump.

Major corporations announce opposition to voter suppression bills in Arizona – Popular Information